


Cats on Mars

by LitoJohn



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-03 06:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11526108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LitoJohn/pseuds/LitoJohn
Summary: Sometimes a misstep is all you need to go forward as Tsukasa soon learns after an incident at practice.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was an RP between two people originally, so please forgive the sudden POV switches! We tried our best to make it flow naturally.

Izumi smirked to himself as he finished off the last of the day's dance routine without a single misstep. There were perks that came with years of ballet, one of which was easy mastery of the usually simpler idol-style choreography. He had mastered their new routine the other day, actually, as had the rest of Knights, aside from Tsukasa. Unfortunately the other members had other things scheduled for the day so he - _of course -_ was stuck practicing with their youngest.

"Kaaaasa-kuuuun," the male called out in his usual annoyed tone as he went to fetch a bottle of water to replenish himself. "It's getting late, let's wrap it up for today."

Tsukasa panted as he fumbled for what felt like the hundredth time of the practice session. It was frustrating, having his senpais learn the dance with ease while he continued to struggle. Sure, they had more experience, but normally it didn't take him this long to learn the choreography. Something about _this_ particular routine was getting to him. The combination of the moves eluded him, and without fail he would mess up at least one part, if not more.

At the sound of Izumi's voice, he let out a sigh, frustrated that once again he couldn’t master the routine, but relieved he could finally relax. He finished the move he had been in the middle of performing, but when he brought his foot down, it suddenly twisted inward and he found himself falling.

"Ah-!"

Thankfully, he managed to not hit his head in the fall, but he immediately felt pain radiating from his ankle.

Izumi was already up on his feet when he saw the awkward twist of his kouhai's foot; he paid no heed to the splashy thud of the dropped water bottle as he quickly rushed over to Tsukasa. "You idiot-!" His scowl quickly dissipated, brows suddenly furrowed with worry and _guilt_ at the thought of the redhead sustaining a serious injury under his supervision.

"... Are you okay? Does anything hurt... ?" the senior asked without so much as a waver in his tone - he still had an image to maintain after all. Silently, he gave the younger boy a quick glance-over before pressing a hand to his ankle to check for any abnormalities. Regardless, he should probably bring Tsukasa to the infirmary - his cheeky kouhai might try to play it off or something.

Tsukasa sat in silence for a moment, before offering what he hoped was a convincing smile. "I am quite all right, Sena-senpai... I simply tripped. Thank you for your concern."

 _'How embarrassing... I cannot get the choreography down, and now to injure myself...! Truly, this is a shame to my honor as a member of Knights...'_   He pulled his ankle away from his senpai's touch before putting his uninjured leg underneath himself and slowly standing. Tsukasa tried to inconspicuously test out his ankle, but when he was met with throbbing pain he shifted all his weight to his left side, hoping that he hadn't been too obvious.

 _'I've already been a burden to Sena-senpai today, making him waste his time on this practice session... I can deal with this on my own.’_  

Izumi only frowned, somewhat frustrated at Tsukasa's predictable response. _'Rely on your senpai for once you shitty brat.'_ The slight wobble in his kouhai's step did not go unnoticed to the senior and confirmed his growing suspicions.

"Don't lie to me, Kasa-kun." He gave the boy a piercing glare before adding dryly, "That's rude you know, soooo annoying~. Treating your senpai this way."

"Guh..." Izumi saw through Tsukasa so quickly. "It wasn't my intention to be rude... Please forgive me." Arashi often told Tsukasa he was rude without him even realizing it, but this time he had really thought he was being courteous...!

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Izumi groaned in annoyance at what would be the best solution in this scenario - at least the other Knights were absent, though he supposed he’d have more options if the others were here. Damn them. 

"Let's try and avoid adding any more unnecessary weight to that ankle okaaay~?" He sighed loudly before lowering himself to the ground and gesturing to his back. "Get on."

"Eh?" Tsukasa blinked down at his senpai, before what he was saying caught up with him.

"Please do not trouble yourself with this, Sena-senpai! I have already inconvenienced you enough today by having you attend this practice session, I would not be able to forgive myself if I became more of a burden... I will be able to manage on my own, please feel free to return home."

"Hah~?" Izumi turned to glance at the underclassman incredulously - _'i_ _s this kid for real?’_ Despite the exchange only being a few seconds, he already felt his patience wearing thin.

"It'd be a bigger inconvenience to m-Knights if you worsened your injury you numbskull!" Another long sigh. "Let's just get you to the infirmary and get you checked, if Sagami-sensei gives you a pass _then_ I'll let you do whatever from that point okaaay~?"

He briefly considered just picking up Tsukasa and tossing him over his shoulder by force, but decided against it since it probably would've been counterproductive if he ended up with another injury.

"Hurry up Kasa-kun or I’ll get mad~♪"

In the back of Tsukasa's mind a small, insidious voice wondered if it really would be an inconvenience to Knights if he couldn't perform. He obviously wasn't getting the routine right, and had shown little sign of improvement even with this extra practice. He needed to stop dragging the rest of his unit down...

But, there wasn't much time to linger on that thought. He murmured to himself, "You say that like you are not already mad,"  before shaking his head. "All right, Sena-senpai. I will be in your care..."

Tsukasa had never been carried on someone's back before, but he had often seen Ritsu being carried by that one Trickstar member. However seeing it in action didn't make actually getting on his senpai's back any easier. He gingerly wrapped his arms around Izumi, trying to place his arms in a certain way to make sure he wouldn't accidentally strangle him when he stood up.

"... Like this?"

"I'm not gonna break, don't be so tense," Izumi chided as he hooked his arms under Tsukasa's legs before standing upright. "And I'm not... That mad, okay?" He stood for a few seconds to adjust to the sudden difference in weight before heading out of the room. _‘I'm just... A sourpuss sometimes.’_

It was a strange experience for Tsukasa. He was embarrassed at being treated like a child (and the fact that Izumi had seemed to hear his muttered comment), but on the other hand... It was nice to rest and rely on his senpai. His grip loosened slightly as he relaxed against Izumi's back and settled his chin on his shoulder.

Izumi mentally groaned at the fact that they should probably lock up the room since they didn't want anyone to steal their stuff while they were gone; however, since his hands were currently occupied...

"...... Kasa-kun." He stopped at the doorway almost reluctant to say his next words. "Fetch the keys from my pocket will you?"

"Eh? Ahh, r-right..." It was awkward to reach, not only because of the location, but because he had to release his grip to reach one arm down.

... Of course Tsukasa picked the wrong side first. He readjusted his grip and tried again, his face flushing deeper with every second it took to retrieve the keys. Tsukasa couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped him when he finally fished them out of the older boy's pocket. He reached out for the door, pulling it closed and locking it.

"I... Will just hold onto these for now." There was no way he was putting them back into Izumi's pocket. Absolutely not.

Resting his chin back on Izumi's shoulder, Tsukasa allowed himself to shut his eyes. He was still exhausted from practice, and the warmth from Izumi's back was quite soothing... 

"Hn." Izumi just gave a slight nod in acknowledgement before continuing toward the infirmary. If he was bothered by the exchange just now he didn’t show it - other than the slight tinge of pink that decided to grace the back of his neck. "If Sagami-sensei wants you to stay put then I'll go back for your things later so give me the keys then okay~?"

Too tired to vocalize, the redhead gave a small nod in response to the question, letting himself enjoy the silence. Not that he would ever dare to say it out loud (he had to maintain some of his pride, thank you), but despite all the times his senpai had bullied him, Tsukasa could not deny that right now he felt... Safe, was the best way to describe it.

It wasn't often that the two of them were the other's only company - they had no reason to be after all and Izumi wondered if Tsukasa felt intimidated by him - if prior accusations of 'devil' were anything to go by. Well, he did have a habit of bullying his underclassmen so it wasn't like he was without blame.

He wasn't the type to bother with small talk so he just continued down the hallway in silence (it wasn't that long of a walk anyway) - only to stop and stare at the _CLOSED_ sign placed on the door of the infirmary. "Oh you've got to be kidding me...! Really?!"

"Huh?" Tsukasa glanced at the door, before realization dawned on him.

"Oh... Normally, even if Sagami-sensei is out, the infirmary is still open... Is it too late after school?" He hadn't been able to check the exact time before they had left the practice room, but he knew it was later than when most units ended practice.

Tsukasa quickly racked his brain for his possible options. His usual driver was taking a vacation this week, and Tsukasa had been walking to school. Both of his parents were out of town with their other drivers. He could call one of the other servants, but he wasn't even sure if any of them had a license, since they all resided in the Suou household with the family, and thus usually went out with one of the drivers... Making a decision, he spoke up again.

"... Thank you again for your help, Sena-senpai, but truly, I will be alright. Please put me down." Walking home would hurt a little, but it certainly wasn't impossible.

"Shut up Kasa-kun. Soooooooo annoying...!" Izumi couldn't help giving the door a hard kick in annoyance, which to no one's surprise didn't so much as budge. The infirmary looked dark inside so it was probably locked - there was no point in checking because he only wanted medical advice from someone more versed in the subject; it wasn't like they needed first aid supplies or anything like that.

"Do you have your phone on you? I'm not leaving you until someone comes pick you up."

Honestly, he didn't trust Tsukasa enough to let him wander around on his own. Especially when it was this late out. He was a nice kid sure, but he could be a bit of an airhead at times... And oddly unaware of things. Tsukasa was in his care for the day and he'd be damned if the underclassman had something else happen to him.

"No, my phone is in my bag..." He thought it over, but if Izumi was really not going to leave him until someone got him, it was best to come clean, even if his plan would probably get him yelled at.

"Even then, no one would be available to get me. I was just going to walk..." He had made the walk from school to home before, even near the same time of day (he could recall the time when he and Leo tried to 'summon a UFO' clearly). So it would just take a little longer than usual, it wasn't worth making a big fuss about.

Izumi turned to glare over his shoulder at the redhead. "Are you an idiot?! Even if you manage to walk with some pain what good does that do if it makes your injury worse?! What if you become unable to walk before you reach home? Then what?! You weren't even planning on grabbing your phone..." Oh he was livid and yelling now, but who can blame him when his kouhai was being stupidly... Careless. Dangerously so.

"Gah... So irritating... Really, you're such a brat," he hissed lowly as he tried to calm down the sudden emotions that flared up and twisted his stomach in knots - while he was relieved that Tsukasa told him of his dumb idea before attempting to execute it, part of him couldn't help feeling somewhat paranoid... His mind automatically jumping to worse-case scenarios that could've happened despite him knowing how unlikely and illogical they were.

"... I'll take you home after we grab our stuff."

Tsukasa winced. He had expected some backlash, but not this much. Honestly, Izumi could be a little frightening sometimes...

"I am certainly not an idiot! I will admit I forgot about my phone, but it is not like I am a defenseless child? ... Please Sena-senpai, don't bother yourself with this... Are we Knights not a unit of individualists? I believe practice is over, and therefore so is your obligation to me. I do not wish to continue to inconvenience you." Those words hurt him to say, but hopefully they were enough to get Izumi to stop worrying over him.

Izumi really wasn't in the mood to argue back and forth with his stubborn kouhai, so he just began to walk back towards the practice room.

"... No one said you were defenseless. However, when a soldier is weakened, there's nothing wrong with seeking back-up support - at least until you recover. Idiot.” He tacked on the insult for good measure since he felt like his prior words were getting a bit on the sentimental side.

"..." Tsukasa could see the reasoning in Izumi's words, but he also felt frustrated. Why couldn't his senpai see that he didn't want to be the baby that dragged down his unit? One day they would leave and he would have to have learned to take care of himself by then... 

"If you don't like being around me that's fine. Just suck it up for now and put up with it until we get you home okay~? Then we can pretend this incident never happened." He stopped in front of the room, waiting for Tsukasa to unlock the door with an impatient tap of his foot.

Izumi's words gave Tsukasa pause. Izumi thought he disliked him? That couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, his senpai was quick to lose his temper often, but... He was still a dependable person, when it came down to it. Tsukasa thought on how to phrase his response as he undid the lock, opening the door slowly.

"Sena-senpai... I do not dislike being around you. You are one of my precious seniors in Knights, and I think you are very reliable. I know my inexperience has caused you trouble, and I merely wished to avoid causing you even more... I am truly sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Outside of unit activities we Knights are not together often, but it is certainly not because I dislike your company."

In fact, one of the few times Tsukasa could recall spending time with his unit outside of idol activities was the impromptu holiday party they shared. Thinking of the holiday party dredged up another memory, something Ritsu had told him at the time - how the more Izumi cared for someone, the more he would get too involved and act in an unpleasant manner...

Tsukasa buried his face into Izumi's neck before muttering, "... Thank you for always looking out for me."

 _‘He doesn’t dislike me…?’_ It was strange how much Izumi felt his heart swell at those simple words of reassurance. In fact, it took him by such surprise that he nearly stumbled with a faltered step - thankfully he caught himself in time, though it did nothing to cease the flush that decided to rise to his cheeks. He almost (but didn't!) swore under his breath when he felt Tsukasa press against the back of his neck.

"O-oi...!" He still managed a scowl at least - even if Tsukasa couldn't see it from where he was. "... You're annoying most of the time but," he paused, selecting his next words carefully. "You're worth more than the occasional trouble you cause."

Tsukasa could swear he felt everything slow for a moment when he heard those words. _'I'm worth more than the trouble I bring my senpais... Ah, I see. That is right, isn't it. If all I was to Knights was a nuisance, I would have been kicked out long ago, wouldn’t I?'_

He could feel his throat constrict a little, tears pricking slightly, but he refused to let them fall. He had to maintain at least some dignity, else he was undeserving of the Suou name...!

Another pause - Izumi bit his lip. Should he say more or would it be best to just leave it at that? Being one of the top units, he knew that they pushed their youngest to extremely high, and probably harsh standards. The toll it must have on their first year... it only seemed appropriate to reassure his underclassman in turn.

"... Don't think of your inexperience as a bad thing. Everyone starts lacking experience at first. Your senpai included." He faintly recalled the song on his iPod he had listened to for the first time in so long on that day on the beach. "You'll get better. Waaay better than you are now." He cracked a small grin. "... And have a bit more faith in yourself Kasa-kun~. You may pale in comparison to your senpai but hell, you're in Knights for a reason you know~?"

To try and stave off his tears, Tsukasa attempted to shift the focus off of himself. "My senpai included? Even you, Sena-senpai?" He gave a small laugh. "It is hard to imagine Sena-senpai not being perfect as an idol... On stage you really give off the image of an ideal Knight." His voice was a little shaky, but hopefully not noticeably so.

"Mmhmm~. No one is born this talented you know. I had to work hard too~." Izumi retorted in his usual somewhat sarcastic tone. His voice softened when he admitted the latter - there was truth in his words after all. His singing voice was _awful_ at first. It was only after many lessons and with great effort was he able to get to where he was now. Well, that and the words from...

 _'How nostalgic...'_  But now was not the time to dwell on the past - the redhead on his back was a reminder of that. He chuckled lowly to himself. _'Y_ _ou're the reason why the present Knights has begun to unite from their selfish stray paths... You got Ou-sama to come back - something I couldn't...'_

"Hey Kasa-kun, I'm gonna set you down for a bit okay~?" Izumi warned as he carefully set the boy down. They didn't have too many things in the practice room, just their school bags and change of clothes... It shouldn't be too heavy for Tsukasa to carry. And they could just load it all on his motorbike so it was only a manner of carrying it there. 

Tsukasa nodded as he was set down, making sure to rest his weight on his good side. Standing on his own again, he decided to try and assess the damage to his ankle. He bent over and rolled up his pant leg. The ankle was already swollen, and he could see the beginnings of a bruise forming. With a sigh, Tsukasa stood back up and gingerly put some of his weight on it. It hurt less than before, and it didn't buckle, so that was good. Honestly, he probably could have walked at least to the infirmary, but...

He watched Izumi as he gathered their things. _'I_ _t is all right to rely on my senpais, isn't it? One day, surely, I will make them acknowledge me as their equal, but for now... I will just enjoy being spoiled~.'_ He smiled, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall.

 _'Hmm, but it is troubling that I have made Sena-senpai think I dislike him... Is it truly because we do not spend much time together besides our Knights obligations? I said we Knights are a group of individualists, but that was so I could stop inconveniencing him... I would much prefer we be trusted comrades on the battlefield.'_ Perhaps, in a way, this injury could be his chance to get closer to Izumi...


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long for Izumi to pack up their things, which he tried his best to bundle together so it'd be easy for a single person to carry.

"Hey Kasa-kun - Wha- H-Hey, are you okay?!" He wasn't sure why Tsukasa was leaning against the wall like that... Was he feeling unwell? Light-headed? It didn’t really make any sense given the nature of his injury but stranger things had happened-

Izumi quickly made his way back over to Tsukasa to check him over. The boy didn't look feverish to him, nor did he look like he was in poor condition. Still, he gingerly reached over to give the freshmen a small pat on the head.

Tsukasa was jolted out of his thoughts by Izumi running over. He was about to let his senpai know he was fine when suddenly Izumi's hand was on his head. His words died in his throat, face flushing slightly. Izumi's face at the moment was concerned and gentle, a far cry from his usual annoyed countenance, which for some reason stirred up something odd in the redhead's chest.

"Hey... if something's bothering you speak up~." Izumi’s hand lingered for a few seconds and he noted how soft Tsukasa's hair was. _'_ _Like a small kitten’s,'_ he thought amusedly.

Tsukasa struggled to find his voice for a moment before stuttering out, "Eh? U-Um. No, I am fine, Sena-senpai... I was just... Using the wall for balance..."  _‘Jesus Christ, get it together Tsukasa,’_ he thought to himself as he looked away from Izumi's gaze. He could feel heat radiating from his cheeks now. _‘Ah, how embarrassing!’_

Despite Tsukasa's words, as cliched as it was Izumi couldn’t help the pang of concern when he saw the flash of crimson on his kouhai's cheeks before he turned his head. The idea that the redhead was simply embarrassed didn't cross his mind; his mind automatically jumped to the conclusion that the other was indeed not feeling well and now attempting to hide it from him.

"Oiiiiii, Kasa-kun~. Look at me." His words were more of a warning rather than a request as he moved to kneel in front of the boy.

"You look a bit flushed…" Izumi pointed out with a small frown as he pressed a hand to Tsukasa's forehead, lifting the red fringe to check his temperature.

Tsukasa slowly turned his head back to face Izumi, only to let out a small squeak when Izumi's hand now found its way to his forehead. He almost told Izumi to not touch him out of reflex, but caught himself at the last second. He was trying to convince his senpai he didn't hate him, and saying that probably wouldn't help his case.

"T-Truly I am fine, Sena-senpai. It is... Just a tad warm in here, is all. I am feeling okay. So...” Tsukasa reached up to take hold of Izumi's hand and gently removed it from his forehead. As he did so, he couldn't help but marvel at how soft it was. Of course, Izumi was also a model, he would certainly take extra care of his skin...

"...... Oh~?" Izumi obviously didn't buy the younger's excuse but he didn't feel like he should press such a trivial matter. Tsukasa did feel a bit warm but it wasn't at a concerning level - the first-year did have a habit of getting hot and bothered over random things so this might've been a similar case.

Suddenly, Tsukasa realized he had been holding onto his senpai's hand for much longer than he should have, and with another squeak quickly released it.

"I-I apologize," he said with a slight bow, once again feeling his face grow hot. Of course his face had to betray him like this again! He silently pleaded for the floor to open up and save him from this shame.

Izumi's gaze fell to where Tsukasa had been holding his hand only seconds before, noting the warmth felt a bit different than when he touched the other's forehead - he couldn't really explain it but there was a... Comforting, pleasant gentleness to it.

"Why are you apologiz- ah." Izumi blinked slowly as he came to a possible reason for Tsukasa's suddenly skittish behavior - to which he couldn't help but chuckle a bit, amused at his silly kouhai.

"Kaaasa-kun~" he drawled teasingly. "You didn't seem to mind snuggling my neck earlier but you're embarrassed over a little hand holding~?"

Flushing darker still, Tsukasa stood up straight, nearly falling over from the sudden change, but he didn't pay much heed to that. He sputtered, before managing to get out, "I-I was not- I- Snuggling?! I was not... _Snuggling_ you!!! That's preposterous, I did no such thing! That was just…"

Now that the word had been planted in his head, he couldn't think of any other word besides 'snuggling' to describe his earlier action. He broke eye contact with Izumi, looking at some point vaguely over his senpai's shoulder.

"That was just an extra reassurance! A-And that does not count as hand holding, I was merely... Well, I was holding it, but it is not the same!"

Oh God, what was he even saying. He was rambling in his embarrassment, but all it had served to do was make him more embarrassed. When he got home he would have to pray to his ancestors to forgive him for bringing such shame to the Suou name as he was doing now.

 _'.......This is too fun~.’_ Although Izumi was no where as - let's just say _‘vicious’_ as he was in the months past, he did enjoy bullying his underclassmen to a certain degree.

"Mmhmm~." He watched amusedly as Tsukasa stumbled over his words, avoided his gaze, and turned several shades of red within the span of a few seconds. Admittedly it was (hilarious but also) nice to see the first-year sputter like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar - he was way too serious and uptight for someone his age.

"Kaaaasa-kun." He probably shouldn’t be causing any unnecessary stress to the boy, but he just wanted to tease Tsukasa for a little bit longer. He leaned down slightly so he level with the side of Tsukasa's turned head and added in a lowered voice, "If you ever want to snuggle in the future, let me know~."

Izumi smirked and dropped the bundle of their combined belongings into Tsukasa's hands.

Tsukasa forgot how to breathe. The tone of Izumi's voice, the words themselves, the way his breath ghosted over his cheek; Tsukasa was sure this was how he was going to die.

He fumbled with their stuff, nearly dropping the bundle, before clutching it to his chest. Finally looking back at Izumi, he pouted at the smirk on his senpai's face. _‘No matter the situation, Sena-senpai still loves to tease me…’_ Finding no way to respond to his senpai's words without making a bigger fool of himself, he decided to ignore them altogether.

"... Just pick me back up, please," he stated, burying his face into their belongings which he still held tightly to his chest.

"As you wish, little Su-ouji~," Izumi replied with a gentlemanly bow worthy of a knight. While his actual personality lacked the chivalry and nuances of their unit's namesake, pretending and slipping into the role wasn’t too difficult. The only thing keeping his image from being able to pass for one at the moment was the devilish smirk that remained on his face.

Tsukasa had looked up from the bundle at the new nickname, giving Izumi a soft glare. _'Uuuu, there it is again, that smirk...!’_

"Hmm?" Izumi almost laughed when the other boy glared at him. He really needed to work on the whole 'attempting-to-intimidate-others-but-just-ends-up-looking-pouty' thing. There was that ever-so-present blush too...

Just when the younger boy was about to tell Izumi to not tease him so much, gravity shifted and he found himself no longer standing on the floor.

Izumi had dropped to a half kneel, knees bending so he could pick Tsukasa up - only this time instead of waiting for him to make himself comfortable on his back, he simply looped his arms under his legs and behind his back to scoop him up. There was a reason for this of course, besides taking the first-year by surprise. He wasn’t too sure how well the previous position would've worked given the fact Tsukasa had his arms occupied and the last thing he wanted was to have the kid clumsily fall from his hold.

"Comfortable~?"

"Wha-!” That was all he could manage to get out, before he caught up with what had just occurred. His mind was racing, all the things he wanted to say rapid firing. _'_ _No, I am not comfortable, this is embarrassing! Go back to the way you were carrying me before!! This position is way too much for me to handle!’_

All those things he wanted to say, but... He _was_ feeling exhausted. All the practice they had done, the injury, the... Excitement from just before. It had taken its toll on Tsukasa. He did not have the energy to argue with his senpai anymore, even for the sake of his pride. _'_ _Perhaps it is best to just... Go with the flow.’_ _  
_

Tsukasa let his head come to rest against Izumi's shoulder, letting out a soft hum. His face was still burning, he could feel it, but... It actually was pretty comfortable.

Izumi's actually surprised when Tsukasa just stays silent instead of his usual berating. But if the first-year didn't complain, perhaps it was because he didn’t mind? Izumi had an urge to warn Tsukasa to not get used to being this spoiled - today was a special circumstance after all, but he refrained from saying so. It wasn't because he was fond of Knights' youngest, or anything...

"Don't fall asleep on me Kasa-kun, we'll be out of this place soon," Izumi noted as he walked towards the parking area. "You should probably let your house know you'll be home soon?" While he wasn't sure of how exactly Tsukasa's household worked, it should've been safe to assume they'd like to know where he was...

"I'm not falling asleep," Tsukasa stated, despite the fact that he had shut his eyes. Though, it was mostly so he wouldn't have to worry about where to fix his gaze…

 _'Ah. Right.’_ He had his phone now, he should call one of the servants to let them know he'd be on his way. But… Even now he was still thinking about what Izumi had said.  _'_ _If you don’t like being around me that’s fine.’_ Everyone always told him he had a habit of being rude without meaning to be, but to think his senpai thought he disliked him... Perhaps spending more time together when not under the pressure of idol activities or school work was what they needed.

Hesitantly, Tsukasa reached out a hand, gently grasping at the fabric of Izumi's shirt. "I do not wish to go home... Please." He looked away, steeling himself before turning back to look Izumi in the face. "I... Would like to spend more time with Sena-senpai... If that is acceptable."

He had started his request with a determined look, but felt himself faltering as he went on. _‘Ah, Sena-senpai isn't going to want to hang out with a 'shitty brat' like me... Especially after all the time I took from him today. I'm such an idiot.’_

"... I..." To say Izumi was taken aback by Tsukasa's request would be an understatement. His usual piercing gaze filled with confidence and scorn had all but disappeared, leaving in its place a wide-eyed, confused third year.

Izumi - when not triggered by certain circumstances - was by nature, a logical sort of person. He couldn't begin to fathom the reasoning to the first-year's request. Tsukasa couldn't continue to practice today due his injury, they didn't really have any unit activities to discuss (and it would’ve been more efficient with the other members around anyway), Izumi was'’t exactly well-versed in the art of quick recovery/healing-  _'_ _I don’t understand...’_

If his kouhai's sudden interest was due to his teasing earlier, it didn't make any sense to him, because if anything it should've  _deterred_ Tsukasa from wanting to spend more time with him. He swallowed thickly at the sudden invisible lump that seemed to form in his throat as he tried to make sense of everything. It wasn't that he was opposed to spending time with Tsukasa, he just didn't know why Tsukasa would  _want_ to.

He stared at the fingers curled gently around the front of his shirt. "I... Don’t mind."

Tsukasa blinked up at Izumi, unable to keep the surprise off his face. "Really...?" Izumi looked about as shocked as he probably looked himself.

Tsukasa smiled. "Thank you, Sena-senpai~. Ah, I should still probably call though..." Releasing his grip on Izumi's shirt, he began to dig around his bag for his phone. After finding it, he dialed the number for his home and quickly relayed what was going on, before saying goodbye and hanging up.

Now that it had been decided though, Tsukasa was beginning to feel nervous. What would they do together? They couldn't really visit any places with his ankle like this, unless it involved a lot of sitting. A movie? No, even if they were technically together, they wouldn't be allowed to talk. Somewhere to get food, maybe? ... Wait, if they went anywhere in public, would Izumi still insist on carrying him?!  _‘That... Would be too much for my pride!’_

Izumi's house, then? Was it too rude to just invite himself over? Interrupting his thoughts, his stomach decided right then to let out a growl. He flushed, before laughing slightly.

"... I suppose I am a little hungry..."

Izumi blinked slowly as if still trying to process what the _hell_ was happening before deadpanning, "No junk food." It was almost an automatic response at this point. If he wasn't so lost in his thoughts he would’ve teased the other’s stomach growling without any mercy.

Tsukasa pouted. How rude, he hadn't even mentioned junk food! Ok, maybe he had been _thinking_ about it, but he hadn't said anything!

It _was_ a reasonable time to get food as it was already late evening, pretty much dinner time. If Izumi really thought about it, eating together was the most ideal 'hangout' option since he would be able to monitor Tsukasa’s food choices for at least one meal. He could be a good senpai for once...

‘ _Don’t mess this up like with Yuu-kun..._ _'_ he warned himself, while taking turn to glance down at Tsukasa and to make sure they were traveling to the correct place, tilting his head slightly to use the younger male as a slight headrest. _‘Soft~.’_

Tsukasa tensed ever-so-slightly when Izumi’s head came to rest on his, but ultimately he remained silent. He had embarrassed himself enough today, thank you very much.

Usually it didn't take this long to reach the parking area, but it wasn't like Izumi bridal-carried freshman on a daily basis. He sighed in relief at the sight of his motorbike a few feet away - carrying Tsukasa wasn't too difficult but the duration of the trip was starting to make his arms numb a bit. It'd be nice to have a short break in between.

"Is there a particular type of somewhat-healthy cuisine you prefer~?" Izumi asked curiously. Would it be weird if they just ate at Izumi’s house?  _‘Mama and Papa are on a trip so we wouldn’t be bothering them..._ ’ He was fairly confident in his cooking ability and he’d be able to have total reign over what they ate. "Or I can make something?"

When he had been about to answer Izumi's first question, his senpai posed the second one. Tsukasa paused, and brought his hand to his chin.

"That is right, that time we made sweets, you said you were good at cooking." How nostalgic... That had been Tsukasa's first time cooking ever. "I would like very much to try Sena-senpai's cooking. I am certain it tastes _marvelous_ ~."

And he could help as well! He could sit and perhaps help with food preparation. Tsukasa had learned a bit more about cooking since the time they made sweets with Anzu’s help, so he could be more useful than support this time.

There was a flash of irritation that spread across Izumi’s features when Tsukasa mentioned that previous time they 'cooked' together - he could clearly recall Ritsu's smug face when his dish won over his, and how annoying the other Knights were when they chased after him when he decided to go for a run to burn off some calories.

Still... It was a bit nostalgic in a way, to be reminded of that time because they were all so different with each other then. They didn't really get along, at least not as well as they did now.

Izumi stopped in front of the motor bike and gently put the first-year down before gesturing to a pouch on the side of the vehicle.

"You can put our stuff in there. Make sure it's closed properly or it’ll all go flying." He could’ve done it himself but Tsukasa always seemed eager to contribute to an effort that he’d let him do that at least. He luckily did have an extra helmet - just in case, you know? - for Tsukasa to use.

"Yes, of course!" Thankful for the chance to finally be of use today, Tsukasa bent over, quickly placing their belongs in the pouch. After triple checking that it was closed, he returned his attention to Izumi.

"We'll probably have to drop by the market first. Have you ever been to one Kasa-kun~?" he asked in a teasing tone, though he wouldn’t be surprised if the boy really had never stepped foot in one before.

"Ah... I have not." The servants would always take one of the drivers and do the shopping, so the young heir had never gone. He had visited cafes and sweet shops and other interesting stores before, but not a general food store.

"Though I probably won't be able step inside this time either..." He tilted his head, before continuing. "Unless Sena-senpai will to let me walk? It would be quite difficult to carry both me and food items, I am sure."

Once again, he leaned some weight on his injured ankle. It was still holding up with only mild pain, so he could possibly walk around the store with his senpai. That is, if Izumi didn't immediately shut down the idea.

Tsukasa had a point... Izumi shouldn’t really be making him walk around the market, though he felt like it was a lost opportunity for the first-year since he on occasion expressed interest in 'commoner' activities. He could always make Tsukasa wait with his bike but... For some reason Izumi felt it would be similar to taking your eyes off a grade-schooler. You give them a few seconds alone and somehow they'll find themselves in some sort of predicament.

"I'll figure something out when we get there. Leave it to your senpai~." He grinned a bit - he had an idea (which suddenly came to mind because of his bike actually) but he’ll have to actually see if it could be properly executed when they get to the market.

Izumi tossed the extra helmet to Tsukasa, trusting him to catch it before placing on his own. He then swung his leg over the motorbike, patting the seat area behind him to signal to Tsukasa to get on.

"Ever ridden on one of these before~?"

"Uwa-!" Tsukasa caught the helmet, but was still surprised at the sudden action. He quickly fastened it, before following his senpai's lead and getting on the bike, making sure not to jostle his ankle in the process.

"All right, I will leave it to you. I am relying on you today right~?" Tsukasa laughed. "No, I have not. It seems a little dangerous for two people to be on... Ah, not that I do not trust Sena-senpai."

On the note of two people riding the bike, Tsukasa wondered what he was supposed to do. Should he just... Grab hold of the back of Izumi's shirt? His grip probably wouldn't really be enough, it didn't seem safe.

 _‘It's fine... It's just like the piggyback ride,’_ Tsukasa thought to himself as he gingerly wrapped his arms around Izumi's abdomen.

Izumi stiffened slightly at the contact though he had been expecting it. Despite having on occasion extended an invitation to several others to ride with him, no one ever actually took up his offer. He was suddenly grateful that the helmet obscured the back of his head because he wasn't really sure what sort of expression he was making - he could feel that odd warmth again creep up from the rise of his neck to his ears.

Being pressed right up against Izumi's back, Tsukasa couldn't help but feel how Izumi tensed a little at his touch. _‘Ok, maybe not exactly like the piggyback ride.’_ He felt heat rising on his cheeks, and was thankful he could hide his face in Izumi's back.

It was quite strange, Izumi thought to himself. He wasn't… embarrassed was he? Certainly not... because having Tsukasa on his back like this wasn’t so different than before. _‘Then why…?’_  If anything, their previous actions had been way more intimate, with Izumi’s hands on the first-year’s legs instead of handlebars. He shook his head slightly to push the bothersome thought from his mind. _'So annoying...’_ He’ll try not to read too much into it and just focus at the task at hand. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Don't worry," the third-year answered cooly. "Just make sure to hold on tight, okay?" he added as a warning as he revved up the engine. There wasn't much traffic at this time and most people took the train anyway - just to be safe though, he'll drive a bit slower so Tsukasa wouldn't freak out.

"Ah, of course," the redhead answered, tightening his hold as the bike roared to life.

Izumi distracted himself by keeping himself focused on the road and by reciting the directions to the supermarket in his head. He knew the way by heart since he often cooked for himself due to his self-imposed strict dietary regulations, but it helped fill the silence that fell between them.

Tsukasa figured it was best to not talk much while Izumi was driving so he wouldn't distract the older boy. Taking in the scenery, Tsukasa let himself relax, but made sure his grip was still tight. The silence between them was somehow comfortable, but that didn’t stop Tsukasa from speaking when they hit a traffic light.

"Sena-senpai, do you have any plans on what you are going to make? I am very curious. I would love to help, if at all possible…"

Tsukasa's sudden question jolted Izumi from his thoughts, which Tsukasa had to stifle a laugh at. _‘Ah, maybe teasing people a little is fun~. Is this why Sena-senpai does it so much?’_

"Hah...?" Admittedly it was a reasonable question and request. He honestly didn’t give their evening menu much thought but if Tsukasa wanted to help maybe they should spend a bit more time to make dishes that took a bit more effort.

"Hmm... We can make a sesame salad - you can eat salad, right~?" he teased, which caused Tsukasa to pout ever-so-slightly. _‘Okay, teasing definitely isn't as fun on the receiving end.’_

"Of course I can eat salad, please do not make fun of me." (It just wasn't his  _favorite_.)

"Heh. For the main dish we’ll have gomoku gohan, you can help me choose which five ingredients we use for it."

"Gomoku gohan, is it... I will do my best to think of things that go well together."

Izumi supposed since it was a unique occasion they can make something else too. "And we'll make creme brulee for dessert," he added with a small grin. It was a bit indulgent, and he wouldn't it eat himself, but a small serving wouldn’t hurt Tsukasa.

"What do you think of tonight's menu, Suu-chef~?" Izumi couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his wordplay.

Tsukasa was going to follow through on his promise and start brainstorming, truly he was, but then... His eyes light up.

"Really?!" Ah, he could feel his mouth watering slightly already. "Sena-senpai...~!"

Tsukasa was so caught up in thinking about dessert that he almost missed Izumi's question. "Suu-chef...? Ah, like _sous-chef_ ? Ehehe, nice joke. And it sounds  _marvelous!_ ... Not just the dessert, but all of it!" He felt the need to add the last part, otherwise he might get teased again. The younger boy smiled, and if his grip on Izumi was slightly tighter than before he might not deny it. Maybe.

"Thank you very much, Sena-senpai. I am really looking forward to it."

"Don't thank me just yet, we still need to make everything." He waited for the light to turn green. "This time I'll be relying on you for assistance, Kasa-kun. Don't disappoint me, mmkay~," he added with a hint of a smile.

Tsukasa had more he wanted to say, but with the light change, he figured he should refrain. _‘Sena-senpai said not to thank him, but... Truly, this has been an interesting day. He has done a lot for me already… I am truly very happy~.’_

When the light turned green, Izumi went back to concentrating on the road. It felt a bit different than his usual leisurely way of driving - he supposed it was because he had the additional responsibility of a passenger. Izumi briefly wondered if Tsukasa was enjoying this; it wasn't as fancy as a limo or whatever the hell rich kids used these days, but personally he enjoyed the nice breeze that came with riding a motorbike.

As Tsukasa watched his surroundings, he let his mind wander.  _'_ _I feel I have learned a lot about Sena-senpai today... I really don't know my seniors all that much, do I?’_ He recalled playing in the archery hall with some kittens while hearing tales of days gone by; recalled the look on Arashi's face as they wiped off the school cenotaph... _‘I will just have to keep striving to be a Knight my seniors can trust in.’_

Tsukasa found riding the bike incredibly fascinating. He was used to the quiet, climate controlled cars of his household. The breeze was almost too much for his tastes. _‘Ah, but Sena-senpai prefers the cold, doesn't he. Fufu, I wonder if that is why he travels this way.’_

It didn't take long to arrive at their destination as they pulled into a parking space only a few minutes later.

"You can just put the helmet over there," Izumi stated, gesturing to the side of the bike as he unclasped his own and placed it in the mentioned location. "Stay put, I'll be right back okay~?" He flashed the younger male a mischievous grin before walking off.

After his senpai walked off, Tsukasa did as instructed and removed the helmet. _‘Does this mean I'm going inside...?’_ He couldn't help but wonder what his senpai had planned... That grin of his had him concerned. But with Izumi gone, it allowed him to get a closer look at the bike. Inching forward on the seat, he made sure not to touch anything but leaned in to get a closer look.

"Is it really that interesting?" Izumi mumbled, hovering over the boy's shoulder. He hadn't been gone long, and had seen Tsukasa turn from a distance, so he made a little effort to be quiet as he snuck back. He had been tempted to throw an arm around the other just to see his surprised reaction (and to reverse the situation from earlier, sort of) but didn’t want him to end up falling or something.

"Ah-!" Tsukasa jumped, not having heard Izumi approach at all. He turned to face his senpai. "That was fast?! Um, I did not touch anything, so...!" He blinked as he took in the item Izumi had brought back. _‘A wheelchair? I did not know markets kept these around... The way of commoners is truly interesting.’_

Izumi had brought back one of the carts intended for the handicapped or elderly, which really was just an automatic scooter with a shopping basket attached to the front. He had explained the situation briefly to one of the workers, who had recognized him and happily lent him one without any further questioning.

"Your pumpkin carriage awaits, Su-ouji~."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gomoko gohan is a rice dish with five different ingredients added.


	3. Chapter 3

Tsukasa once again glared at the new nickname, though he didn't put much heat behind it (he was _not_  pouting).

"Again with that nickname! I meant to say it before, but please do not call me that." He almost went on to say 'Kasa-kun' was too much as well, but... He didn't want to start a fight with his senpai, when this trip was for the purpose of getting along better.

"..." For some reason Izumi found Tsukasa's usual nagging a bit endearing rather than the usual annoyance.

Getting off the bike with an injury proved to be harder to Tsukasa than getting on. The younger boy accidentally banged his ankle while pulling it over the bike, which made him wince.

"Uuuuu..." That hadn't been pleasant. How careless! Well, at least he was going to get to sit down once more in a moment.

"... Geez Kasa-kun, I know you enjoy being spoiled by me, but try not to get banged up too much. You're such a klutz." Despite the teasing, his hands were already on Tsukasa's waist to keep him steady and guide him to the wheelchair. He didn't want to pressure him to move with a pull though, so he just waited for Tsukasa to move on his own.

Okay, now Tsukasa was pouting, but he had just hurt himself and was getting teased again! He was allowed. He was about to reply when he felt Izumi's hands come to his waist and just rest there. His words came out, but without the impact he had hoped.

"I-I do... Not..." was all he could manage to get out as a retort. What was going on with him today? Izumi was certainly pushing all the right buttons to tease him and make him flustered, but it was... Different, from before. And the way the teasing was making him feel was certainly different, too.

He reached out a hand to grab hold of the cart, and settled himself on it with Izumi's help. He murmured his thanks as he looked at the contraption in front of him.

"You've probably never seen one of these before, but it should be easy to use. There's a little control panel and stick. You just move it in the direction you want to go." That should cover the basics... He wasn't entirely sure how to use one to be honest, but it was just common sense, right? It was sort of nice since they wouldn't need to carry a shopping basket since it came attached.

_'This shouldn't be too hard...'_  The redhead played around with the controls for a moment until he discovered what worked best.

"Okay, I believe I am ready." He smiled up at Izumi, ready to visit the market for the first time. But then a thought occurred to him.

"Oh, Sena-senpai, could you get my bag for me? We can put whatever we get on my card." After everything Izumi had done for him today, paying for the food he was making Izumi prepare for him was the least he could do.

"Hah? Don't make unnecessary requests, Kasa-kun," Izumi replied with a flick to the freshman's forehead.

"Gya?!"

"As your senpai, it's normal for me to treat you on occasion, you know~?" Without another word, he turned and started walking toward the entrance of the supermarket.

Tsukasa had reached out his hand to cover his forehead, blinking up at Izumi. He was going to argue, but Izumi had the advantage of easier mobility, and was already on the move before he could say anything else.

"Keep up or I'll leave you behind. If we finish early, I'll even let you look at the sweets aisle."

_‘Not that I’ll let you get anything from there,’_ Izumi thought to himself since they were already going to have dessert later, but it could be fun to look at all the colorful sweets at least.

"Sweets... _Aisle?_ " Oh yes, that certainly did seem like it would be fun to look at... Maneuvering the chair, he began to follow after Izumi, realizing he forgot to think of ingredients for the gomoku gohan. _'Oops.'_

Izumi had no idea why he was in such a good mood when he started out the day feeling rather sour he was stuck babysitting. In the end he felt rather... Glad the other Knights weren't here. He stopped a few feet ahead and turned back around to wait for Tsukasa to catch up, watching him use the controls of the chair. It was a rather picturesque scene, with the warm evening reds and purples highlighting the freshman's soft features. He held his breath for a moment, realizing he learned a lot about the younger boy today.

Lost in thoughts about ingredients, the redhead almost missed the look Izumi was giving him. Almost. It seemed rather... Fond, if he could allow himself to say. He gave his senpai a soft smile in return. _'While I wish this happened under different circumstances... I suppose a sprained ankle is a small price to pay for getting closer to Sena-senpai.'_

Izumi felt his cheeks flush ever so slightly when he was given a smile in return - it was as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. For once he was thankful to the rosy evening hues that would hopefully make it hard to notice. _'This is stupid...'_ he chided himself - he shouldn't feel shame (?) from a positive interaction. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t such a sourpuss... Especially to those who treated him kindly.

With an annoyed huff (at himself) he walked through the automatic doors and was immediately assaulted by all the _wonderful_ tidings of a popular supermarket. There was the aisles upon aisles filled with colorful signs and all sorts of products. There was that usual awfully annoying shopping jingle that blared across the intercom with the occasional pause for workers to yell out great bargains or a lost child announcement. There was even the expected busy crowd that came with a popular shopping - which, while grating, he could deal with. Hopefully there wouldn't be any crazy bargain shoppers around; the last thing he wanted was one of those lunatics to knock into Tsukasa just because they wanted cabbages for fifty yen off their usual price.

Following Izumi inside, Tsukasa couldn't hold back his mirth at his surroundings. " _Marvelous_... This is really quite lively isn't it. So this is how the commoners shop..." It certainly seemed crowded, but also quite fun... He would have loved to explore if he hadn't been using the chair.

"Hmm." Izumi began to make a mental checklist of what things he had at home and what they'd have to get. Though it would've been more efficient to have the two of them split up and rendezvous after getting all their items, he wasn't entirely fond of the idea.

"We're going to the produce section first Kasa-kun~."

"Understood." As they made their way over, Tsukasa made sure to take in as much of the store as he could. There were brands and products he had never heard of everywhere. When his ankle was better, he would have to convince his driver to let him come visit again. Or, perhaps, he could come here with Izumi again one day...

"Ehe." He grinned slightly to himself. That was definitely the more desirable option for him.

The older boy raised a brow at the small grin on Tsukasa's face. "What's gotten you so cheerful, Kasa-kun~?" he asked in an amused tone. He assumed it was the novelty of being in a supermarket for the first time. He'd probably feel the same if he were in a similar circumstance.

"Hehe, it's a secret." He raised a finger to his lips with a wink. Izumi didn't need to know he was excited to do this again... That would only get him teased.

_'What a cheeky brat. Endearing, but still cheeky brat,'_ Izumi mused to himself.

"So what do we need?” Tsukasa continued. “Lettuce, of course... And some items for the gomoku gohan. How about mushrooms?"

"Mushrooms sound good... If you can grab a package of shiitake and shimeji mushrooms over there," Izumi pointed toward the area that displayed all sorts of different fungi. "You can’t really go wrong with them so choose whichever ones you like. We’ll also need lettuce, yes, also some carrots and bamboo shoots." He paused, as he tried to recall his usual recipe. "Also red onion and scallions. I’ll grab the first three... Can I trust you to grab the onion and scallions? They’re near the mushrooms." While the area was decently-sized, everything was within sight so he could still keep a watch on Tsukasa.

"Please leave it to me, Sena-senpai.” Tsukasa headed off to the area in question, selecting the required items before bagging everything as he had seen other shoppers do, placing them in the chair basket. Spotting Izumi a little bit away, he made his way back over.

"I hope these are acceptable...?"

Izumi had also just finished still mulling over which head of lettuce to choose. And the fruit for their dessert dish. He was being particularly picky, checking the color, if the leaves were damaged, and other such indicators of quality. His attention turned to Tsukasa when he returned with his own items.

"Done already~? Let me see..." He bagged the lettuce he finally deemed acceptable and began to inspect the items Tsukasa placed in the basket, nodding as he approved each one. "These are fine, good job," Izumi assured along with a quick ruffle of the other male's hair.

More and more unexpected things kept happening to Tsukasa today. The sudden praise made him happy, though he tried not to let it show too much. In fact, he was so happy at the praise he couldn't even find it within himself to complain about the hair ruffle, though he did raise his hands to smooth his hair down after.

_'Perhaps... I really do enjoy being spoiled.'_ Certainly Tsukasa was a hard worker, and he wouldn't stand for everything being done for him or anything, but... It was certainly nice to be reassured for his actions, and to have someone to rely on when he needed.

"Want to help pick out some berries for the creme brulee? We’ll need blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries."

"Yes! Oh, I am quite fond of strawberries~. It sounds like it will be delicious."

Izumi gestured for Tsukasa to follow him a few feet away where the vegetable section transitioned to fruit. He could easily pick out the good ones, but it would be a good learning experience for Tsukasa too if he got to do at least one himself. Since Tsukasa was fond of strawberries he'd leave him in charge of that.

"I'll show you how you can tell which ones are better than the others." He glanced through some of the strawberries on display before settling on a particular one and picking it up for Tsukasa to see.

"You can tell a strawberry is ripe by color. It's bright red without hints of white or green on it. If it does have those other colors it was picked while it was underripe." Izumi then took Tsukasa's hand carefully, placing the fruit in his palm gently to not bruise it.

The redhead made sure to pay close attention to Izumi's explanation. Perhaps if they did this again one day, he could impress his senpai by remembering. With that thought in mind, he kept nodding along with every sentence. That was, until Izumi grabbed his hand. He inhaled sharply and held his breath for a second, but tried to ignore that in favor of staring intently at the strawberry now in his palm.

"To tell if a strawberry is sweet, you'll need to see if it’s fragrant. If there's a pleasant sweet aroma then it'll be very sweet. If there isn't a smell, it'll be sour. Got it~?"

"... I see," Tsukasa responded after a moment. Without thinking, he reached up his other hand to grab the strawberry and bring it to his nose. It had the sweet aroma Izumi had been describing.

"Ah, yes, it smells very sweet!" He went to return the strawberry to Izumi's palm when he realized his other hand was still occupying that space. Oh. Cheeks pink, Tsukasa quickly removed his hand while plopping the strawberry in Izumi's now vacant one.

Izumi could only find amusement in Tsukasa's flustered response, noting it was similar to before.

"Hmm~? Oh right, no hand holding, right, Kasa-kun~?" It was probably obvious he was doing this on purpose to just get a reaction out of the other boy. He raised his unoccupied hand as if to rest against the other boy's cheek, fingers curling out to press against those _oh-so_ -pouty cheeks - only to stop short a centimeter away.

"Guess I'll try and keep my hands to myself."

"You...! Please do not mess with me so much!!" Tsukasa brought his own hand up to his cheek, feeling the warmth there. _'Tsukasa Suou, get it together...'_

The third year returned the strawberry to the small carton he took it from. "Your duty will be to check through these containers and find the one that has the best strawberries. Shouldn't be too hard, right? We only need one since we're not making a ton of servings. I'll get the other berr-"

He was suddenly interrupted by the ringtone of his cellphone, which he pulled out of his pocket with an annoyed expression. His expression seemed to soften when he glanced at the screen.

"Kasa-kun, I’ll be right back after I take this call, you're on strawberry duty until I return, okay~?"

Tsukasa tilted his head as Izumi walked off to take his phone call. But, he had been given a task, he should complete it before the older boy returned. Still, as he looked through containers of strawberries, he couldn't help but wonder who was on the phone.

_'One of our unit members, maybe? His parents? ... Or maybe Yuuki-senpai? That's right, Sena-senpai really cares about Yuuki-senpai a lot...'_ Tsukasa wasn't sure who else could cause Izumi to make such a calm and gentle expression. What was this he was feeling now? Was he... Jealous? Sure, Tsukasa could be greedy, he would freely admit it. He took pride in being able to get what he wanted, but...

_'I wasn't aware Sena-senpai's attention was something I wanted,'_ he admitted to himself as he placed the container he deemed to have the most perfect strawberries into the basket.

The phone call was brief, and Izumi was back after a few minutes. He had gone to the next aisle over since it wasn't as crowded (and therefore less bothersome to the other shoppers), which conveniently happened to be the dairy section, so he had grabbed a container of heavy cream to save them a later trip.

As he passed through the produce on his way back to Tsukasa, he picked up the needed containers of raspberries and blueberries before making his way to the younger boy.

"Hmm, these look decent," Izumi confirmed after giving the strawberries a glance-over and placing his own items carefully into the basket so it wouldn't squish the more delicate items. "Let's head over to the meat section for some protein to add to the gomaku gohan. Do you want chicken, pork, or beef? Hell, we can even do fish if you prefer that-"

He looked at Tsukasa quizzingly, noting that something seemed a bit off about the first-year.

"You okay?"

"Huh? Oh," Tsukasa shook his head, like it would clear those thoughts from his mind as well. "I'm quite all right, Sena-senpai. I was just... Lost in thought for a moment. What did you say before that?"

Tsukasa was loathe to admit he hadn't been listening to his senior, but... He hadn't. _'Why is this bothering me so much?'_ He thought to himself as he brought his hand to his chin.

_'I could always ask, but... It is his personal business.'_ He mulled it over for a second, but decided to throw caution to the wind. Could he call himself a Knight if he acted like a coward? The first-year tilted his head, and tried to keep his voice as casual as he could.

"Actually, before you answer that last question... Who were you talking to before? Is everything all right?" If he asked like that, he could come off as concerned, instead of... Jealous. He was still having a hard time believing it himself, but... Maybe just for today, he wanted Izumi's undivided attention.

"I..." The first-year was clearly distracted by something Izumi noted, and if he had to be honest, he felt a little... Hurt, if not disappointed in himself. He had mistakenly thought that the day’s events had strengthened their relationship, but in the end Tsukasa still didn’t want to rely on him as a senpai.

"It wasn't anything important." He gave a careless shrug to brush off the matter.

If the first-year refused to tell him anything, it meant he still didn't trust him enough despite earlier words. Had he overstepped his boundaries? Would this just be a repeat of what happened with Yuu-kun...? Izumi felt his insides twist in despair at the thought, and he wondered if it would've been better to just keep things as they were before. He was good at bluffing after all, and pretending that he didn't care.

_'This is my retribution,’_ he realized. _'For my terrible misdeeds... For becoming ugly and corrupted...'_

"Anyway, I asked you what type of meat you preferred for the gomoku gohan. Shitty brat, listen when your senpai is speaking~."

Tsukasa was silently panicking. He had messed up. He had _really_ messed up. His senpai had a reputation for not being honest (according to Ritsu, at least), and Tsukasa wasn't the best at reading people, but... By the look in Izumi's eyes, he knew he messed up.

_'No no no,'_ was all that was running through his mind. Why wasn’t he just honest with his senpai? He didn't want to ruin this newfound companionship, not so soon after it had started...! As Izumi turned away to head toward the meat section, Tsukasa made a decision. He couldn't dare look at Izumi, so he stared down at his lap as he acted.

"... Please wait a moment," he said, reaching his arm out to grab Izumi's sleeve.

Izumi kept his expression neutral and kept silent, especially with the first-year refusing to look at him as if repulsed by his senpai. He wanted to be mad, or even just annoyed at the redhead. It was easier than dealing with the feelings he had now.

"I'm sorry. I lied. Truthfully, I was... Feeling jealous. I wanted Sena-senpai's attention for myself. I apologize for being so shamefully selfish."

Izumi stayed silent as Tsukasa mumbled some sort of apology. His words only confused the third-year, filling his head with all sorts of questions. He wasn't as good at reading others like Arashi or Ritsu - even Leo, as crazy as their king was, had his moments of intuition when it came to understanding the emotions of others. Tsukasa admitted to selfishness, but that would've meant that the freshman felt that he was in the wrong. He had admitted jealousy, but what was there to be jealous of? If he wanted Izumi's attention... Was all of this not enough for Tsukasa?

Tsukasa said he didn't want to damage his relationship with Izumi, but had he just made it worse? What right did he have to claim Izumi's attention for his own, anyway? Sure, they have been in the same unit for months and had gone through many hardships together, but there were people who knew him better, who he was closer with. What was he even doing?

Tsukasa felt shame welling up in his stomach, and looked away as he slowly let go of his hold on Izumi. Ah, maybe he wasn't fit to be a Knight, he was a coward after all. The only thing that stopped him from turning and running was his injury at this point.

It was frustrating. But Izumi wasn’t too sure if those feelings were directed at Tsukasa or himself. He was _trying._ He wanted to be better. Tsukasa deserved better.

... And his kouhai did have better people around to care for him. The other Knights were more than qualified to guide him as his senpai. By that logic, it probably was best that he just leave this to them and prevent trouble for their unit. But... Despite usually playing by the rules of logic, it didn't feel right to Izumi. Even if he's thrown away later, for today he'll try. He'll be the selfish one today, not Tsukasa.

Though a bit hesitant, he reached over to the trembling boy, wrapping his arms around him. "... You'll always have my attention."

Tsukasa tensed at first at Izumi's touch, not expecting it since he wasn't looking. But it wasn't reprimanding. His eyes widened at Izumi's words, and he felt himself relax again, letting himself lean into the hug, reaching up to reciprocate as well.

"... You aren't mad at me?"

"No... I'm not." He wanted to say more. He wanted to assure Tsukasa the truth behind his vague words. It wouldn't just be from now on after but something that _always_ was, Izumi realized. Tsukasa always had his attention, ever since he first joined Knights; he wouldn't have bothered with him otherwise.

It was a startling revelation; one to which Izumi had no idea what to do with. It didn't really help him in any way with the current situation, so he supposed the best thing was to just tuck this piece of new information to the back of his mind for now - he'd dwell on it later.

Tsukasa felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. _'He's not mad...'_  It was such a relief to hear, he let out a soft sigh as the last bit of tension left his body. He was still slightly uneasy, but... If Izumi was hugging him like this, that meant he wasn't put off by his behavior? Honestly, they probably needed to talk about this more, but... Looking around, Tsukasa deemed this wasn't really the place. He removed his arms from the hug, though didn't pull away altogether.

"Um... Chicken sounds good?" It wasn't perfect, but... It seemed he hadn't ruined this completely.

Even when Tsukasa removed his hands, Izumi remained in place. He couldn't help but laugh a bit when the other boy brought up his preference for the dish, though his voice came out a bit uneven -  which he muffled out by burying his face in Tsukasa's soft red locks.

The young heir let out an undignified squeak when Izumi nestled into his hair. He froze for a second, contemplating his next action, before smiling slightly. This would probably backfire on him, but... He couldn't resist trying to get some payback at his senpai.

"Now who is snuggling who~?" He gave a short laugh as one of his hands came to rest on Izumi's own head, running through his silver hair gently. He had never really been this... Touchy-feely before with any of his senpais (of his own will, at least... Arashi was constantly very touchy), but he had also never really seen Izumi act like this, either... He supposed he could return the action.

"Cheeky as always Kasa-kun," he mumbled grumpily before trying to remove himself from the first-year - only he couldn't because Tsukasa had decided to play with his hair. He stiffened at the gesture but relaxed after a few seconds (what was he, a cat?!), lips curling into a small smile.

"You were the one adverse to it, not me, Kaaaasa-kun~. I even offered... Remember~?" Izumi mouthed, just above a whisper. He chuckled a bit as he recalled Tsukasa's reaction not too long ago. "Listen when your senpai is speaking," he said, quoting himself from earlier, only his tone was vastly different; this time teasing and fond instead of cold.

Tsukasa's fingers stopped, and he felt his face heat up. He was never really going to beat Izumi in the teasing department, was he?

_'_ _'I offered', he says... Like he really meant it,'_ Tsukasa thought, removing his hand as Izumi stood. But he didn't dwell on it long. Izumi seemed like he was back to how he was before the phone call, so Tsukasa figured he should count his blessings.

"Anyway, let's go. We have a lot of cooking to do later," Izumi reminded as he patted the crinkles from his shirt from slouching over. Humming to himself, he gripped the handles on the back of the wheelchair and began to push without warning - sure it could move automatically but this was faster.

"Yes, let us move along." Tsukasa was really getting hungry at this point... Maybe he would need a snack to tide him over until dinner... Lost in thoughts of the sweets aisle, he didn't notice Izumi move behind him until he started moving. He jumped a little, and turned to look back at his senpai. He had been about to say he could do it himself, but... Every time he said something to that effect today, Izumi still continued on with what he was doing. He decided not to force it.

"Thank you." He turned back forward to look around the market once more.

"Mmhmm." Izumi pushed the chair in comfortable silence along the side, scanning through the various types of meat displayed before stopping in front of the poultry section for the chicken. Once he made a selection to his liking, he offered the items to Tsukasa.

"Here. Put them in the basket for me 'kay?" He supposed they had just enough time to check out the sweets before hitting the checkout section...  

"Yes! Of course." Taking the offered food, Tsukasa rearranged the basket to protect the fruit from the chicken, when suddenly his stomach once again demanded to be heard.

"Ah." He brought his hand to his stomach, rubbing it gently. "... How long will it take to cook, exactly?" Tsukasa asked while giving Izumi a sheepish look. He had been planning on keeping quiet, but his body kept betraying him today...

".....................Pfft." It started out a muffled snicker. Izumi tried - key word _tried_ \- to not burst out laughing at just how silly and _cute_ his junior was being at the moment, but to no avail. He turned his head and attempted to stifle the sudden fit of laughter with his hands. Tsukasa's embarrassed expression, how he asked the question so earnestly, the timing of it all - it made his heart suddenly feel so full compared to the moment before.

All Tsukasa could do was blink at his senpai in shock. He should probably be upset Izumi was laughing at his expense, but... Tsukasa stifled his own laugh, raising his hand to his mouth. _'Truly, Sena-senpai looks best when smiling.'_

It didn’t take the older boy long to calm down, and he had to give the question a bit of thought before answering. He supposed someone who was simply served food and had no experience cooking would have no sense of time when it came this sort of thing.

"Hmm... The salad and gomoku gohan would take around half an hour?" He then paled slightly, realizing his error for the choice of dessert. He had chosen creme brulee because it was relatively easy to make and there was a bit of novelty in using a blowtorch to crystallize the sugar; however he had forgotten the time it took to actually finish the dish. Cooking didn't take long... It was the required refrigeration needed after.

"The creme brulee doesn't take long, but it takes at least two to three hours to set properly in the fridge... Is that too long for you to stay out? Maybe we should make something else..."

Tsukasa nodded at Izumi's estimate. That wasn't as long as he thought, he could probably last that long. He frowned at his next words, though. He had been excited for creme brulee since it was suggested. He tilted his head in thought, resting his chin on his hand.

"Hmm, it should be all right? I never told them how late I would return. And I can always contact them again to let them know I am still out? We do not have class tomorrow, so I have no homework to complete or anything else urgent to attend to." But, if they finished late at night, it might be too dangerous for Izumi to drive...

Izumi began pushing Tsukasa towards the sweets aisle; he didn't feel the need to announce where they were going since it would be obvious in a minute or two.

"As long as I don’t end up with a bunch of body guards breaking down my door for kidnapping the heir to the Suou family," Izumi warned in a jestful manner. Still, he really didn't know anything about Tsukasa’s life outside of school.

It reminded him of something Arashi once said; that while their Ou-sama was otherworldly, Tsukasa shared that air of otherworldliness, too. It made the senior wonder just how different things were for Tsukasa compared to his peers.

Tsukasa laughed. "I am sure that will not happen, Sena-senpai." Whenever his parents were gone, the staff usually liked to take it a little easier, which he thought was fine. While of course he believed in the principles of hard work, breaks were important as to not get worn out, as his senpais had often told him.

"You're welcome to stay the night," Izumi offered. It might've been better given how late it was and bringing Tsukasa back home could be an inconvenience to the servants who would have to wait up for him. Plus, his parents were gone for a trip and wouldn't be home for a few days - it'd be nice to have company.

"Eh?" Tsukasa had never stayed at a friend's house before; the thought made him excited. He was getting to experience so many new things today...! But, excitement aside... Would it really be okay? He looked up and back at Izumi.

"I do not have any pajamas with me... Ah, I suppose more importantly... Are you certain it would not be a bother? I know you said it was okay to rely on you, but imposing is a whole different thing altogether."

Suddenly Izumi stopped, and as Tsukasa turned back forward, he was met with a most wonderful sight. There was so much candy! He leaned forward, eager to get a closer look. There were some brands he recognized from the school store, but others he had never heard of before.

"Not really," Izumi answered absent-mindedly as he pushed Tsukasa a bit closer to the candies and began to go through them himself. He didn't plan on buying any but on second thought, he might as well have picked up the ones his mama and papa liked while he was here to save them a trip later.

"You can just borrow one of mine? It's not like I have only one set... Don't think so lowly of us 'commoners' Kasa-kun~." One of the perks of being a model was all the gifts he received from the designers he modeled for. If anything he had an excessive amount of clothing for a boy his age. It was a good thing he was bigger than Tsukasa - his clothes might be a bit loose on him but it was better than being too snug and uncomfortable.

"Hmm. Well, if you are sure it will not be an issue... I would be delighted to stay over." He wasn't exaggerating. He had never even visited any of his senpai before, and now he was going to get to stay over...! How exciting!

"If you're staying over, then you can choose _one_ treat. You can't eat it until tomorrow though, okay~?" Izumi clarified already assuming that the first-year would stay over.  

"Fufu, I understand~." If he was honest, he hadn't expected Izumi to let him get anything at all, since they were already making dessert. _'_

_My, I'm really being spoiled, aren't I...'_ He let out another quiet laugh as he perused the candy. Deciding he didn't want Izumi to have to spend too much more money than he already was, he picked out a cheap chocolate bar of a brand he hadn't tried before.

He really had experienced so much today, hadn't he? A piggyback ride, a... Princess carry, riding a motorbike, going shopping at a regular market... And he was going to get to cook later! As he placed the chocolate in the basket, he glanced over at Izumi.

_'Sena-senpai really didn't have to do any of this... I should properly thank him later.'_

Izumi finally managed to locate the brands his parents liked, picking out one of each and tossing them (somewhat carelessly) into the basket. Admittedly he was a bit disturbed after curiously checking over the nutrition label and seeing they were basically empty calories and chock full of sugar. _'Figures.'_ He then picked up the chocolate bar Tsukasa had chosen to inspect it briefly, mildly curious as to why he chose such a dinky brand,but decided it didn't really matter if that was what he wanted; and with that he pushed him towards the checkout line.

Izumi didn't really know what they would be doing in the hours they needed to wait for the creme brulee - nor the hours after that. He probably should've given it more thought rather than impulsively offer like that. It wasn't like him, but he seemed to be full of impulsive decisions today.

He wasn't sure of how to entertain Tsukasa since he didn’t know his interests, and his experience with having people over was almost next to none unless Leo counted, who had a tendency to invite himself over without warning. And even then the genius third-year was good at entertaining himself with his frequent bouts of inspiration.

"What sort of things do you like, Kasa-kun?” Izumi inquired while he placed their items onto the conveyer.

"Hm?" The question seemed a little random, but when he thought about it, Izumi was probably having the same dilemma he had before: what could they do together? Unless they went to sleep right away after eating, they had quite some time that needed to be filled somehow. He didn't really know Izumi's interests, either... As he helped Izumi unload their items, he thought on it.

"I quite like reading. And I love to play chess." But reading was a solitary activity, and chess could probably only keep them entertained for so long... "I'm also very fond of movies."

That was a lie, but, watching a movie was something they could do together, and was even something he thought of suggesting before. And since it would be in private, they would still be allowed to talk.

"What about Sena-senpai?"

The third-year wasn't sure if they had many movies at home. Other than the occasional screenings when his parents insisted they spend some time together, he didn’t care enough to keep up with them. Hell, even his iPod was filled with 'old' songs since he never bothered to update it with new music, and that was related to his current school career. Still, there was probably a few random ones laying around the house that would be okay to watch.

"Cooking to a certain degree." If that wasn't obvious enough. "Bullying my juniors~. But you already knew that," he added with a small grin as he paid the cashier. He didn't have many hobbies since other than idol activities, he had his modeling job to keep him busy. He used to do ballet, but that wasn't really something worth sharing.

Tsukasa snorted a little at the mention of bullying his juniors. He knew all too well, but... As he was experiencing first hand, it wasn't all bullying. Izumi could be quite kind as well.

With the items placed back into a single shopping bag and into the basket, he pushed the wheelchair a bit a ways before stopping. "...... Hm. It might be better to..." Izumi trailed off as he mumbled his thoughts aloud.

"Better to?"

Izumi gave a slight pause as if considering his options before hoisting Tsukasa up from the chair with no verbal warning and throwing the poor boy over his shoulder. Using one arm against his back to keep Tsukasa balanced, he grabbed the grocery bag with his free hand.

"Ready to go~?"

... Okay, maybe Tsukasa had spoken too soon.

"W-What are you-?!" He squirmed a little out of surprise, but afraid of falling he quickly stopped, reaching out to grab at the back of Izumi's shirt. Not wanting to cause a scene and possibly get Izumi in trouble, he refrained from shouting and telling him to put him down. But, there was no way he could let this slide completely!

"You could have warned me?!" ... Well, this was certainly something he could add to the new experience list, at the very least. He was lucky the walk back to the bike wasn't that long…

"Given, how often this has happened today, I'm somewhat disappointed you didn't see it coming Kasa-kun~." He slid the bag to the crook of his arm to free his hand to double his hold on Tsukasa. He probably could've made do with just one but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

"Paron me?! Yes this has... Happened often today, but at least I was prepared... Once..." Tsukasa's voice got quieter as he went on. He had forgotten that the bridal carry had been a surprise grab, too. At least this wasn't as embarrassing a pose as that...

They were back to Izumi's bike before long, and he gingerly placed Tsukasa down whilst avoiding the other boy's gaze for the moment - he wasn't sure if he could keep from laughing if he saw Tsukasa's flustered face for the nth time today. After placing their newly-bought goods into the storage compartment and shutting it carefully, he mounted the bike once more.

As he waited for Tsukasa to join him, he fiddled a bit with his helmet; if he had to be truthful, he hated how it messed up his purposely-messed up hair. Thankfully the effects didn’t last too long since he didn’t ride for long periods of time.

"Here." He offered the extra helmet back to Tsukasa.

Holding on to Izumi's shoulders for support, Tsukasa slowly swung his leg over the bike. After having bumped his ankle the last time, he wanted to make certain to not do that again. He took the helmet offered with a soft thanks, fastening it quickly, before latching himself onto Izumi's back. He had been right, it was getting cold out... But Izumi was still warm. He turned his face to the side, and pressed his cheek to Izumi's back, arms wrapped around his senpai tight.

"How far away is your home, Sena-senpai?"

Normally Izumi would flinch at the sudden contact. If this had been a normal day he would immediately retort with something along the line of, _“Too close too close…! So annoying..!”_ But today had been anything but ordinary. Instead of the usual scowl, he found himself reacting with a hint of a smile - not the first of today but still unusual nonetheless.

"Not too far." The distance wasn't far enough that the commute was a pain, but still enough to require a trip to the station or a drive to school everyday.

It was almost... Ironic in a way. As the day grew long and the sky grew darker, everything else seemed lighter. _Brighter_ as if the sun had just begun to rise. And it was all because of... Perhaps he really was a _tsundere_ as people have said time and time again...

But if possible, he’d like to tell Tsukasa ‘thank you’ one day.

"You know... If you're that close and your stomach growls, I'll be able to feel it~." He couldn't help poking fun at Tsukasa juuust a little bit.

"... Please ignore it if you feel it." Thankfully his stomach seemed to be quiet for the time being, but he didn't trust it to not act up again soon.

"You aren't hungry at all, Sena-senpai? If your stomach growls, I would be able to feel it as well~." His arms were right over his middle, after all.

"I'm used to it..." Usually he'd leave it at that, but he found it a bit easier to open up at the moment. "I don't snack, and eat to a strict schedule due to my modeling job, so my body's probably used to it?" He clarified. He saw eating as an annoying necessity rather than something to be enjoyed. As long as he got the proper nutrients in to keep his body in shape, that was enough.

Of course he was only human. It wasn't like he didn’t get hungry on occasion, but he was disciplined enough to keep to a proper schedule, so it happened rarely. On the instances it did happen at school, he would satiate himself with his calorie water.

"Ah, I see." He should probably follow Izumi's example more... Then maybe he wouldn't feel the need to snack when he got stressed.

Tsukasa laughed slightly, wondering if Izumi could feel that, too. He pulled his head back to get a better look at the setting sun. It was nearly gone now, but its last few rays still dyed the sky a beautiful orange. For a moment, Tsukasa was sad about the fact they had to wear helmets. He was sure the light and Izumi's hair would have mixed beautifully.

_'I want to make sure to thank Sena-senpai before I forget, but... I don't think now is a good time.'_ He didn't want to distract Izumi, after all. And, he would rather be able to see his face when he did so. He offered up a more mundane topic of conversation, instead.

"This time of day is quite lovely, isn't it?"

"Hmm? I guess so... It's quiet, which is nice." He wanted to take a moment to enjoy the scenery with Tsukasa, but knew he had to focus on the road. Perhaps next time...

_'Next time...'_ Izumi blinked slowly at how he had automatically assumed there would be another... Whatever this was. He slowly pulled into the driveway of the Sena residence while distracted by the sudden thought. Was he being too presumptuous? There were very specific circumstances that had lead to today's events, and Tsukasa didn't really have a reason to hang around after toda- tomorrow.

"We're here…"

As they pulled into the driveway, Tsukasa took a moment to admire the house.

"Uwaa, it's quite charming, isn't it~." Before Izumi could get up, Tsukasa once again used him as support while getting off the bike. He took off the helmet, placing it where he had last time, before reaching towards the storage and grabbing the food and their other belongings. Turning back to Izumi, he couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Shall we get going?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> believe it or not i actually cut like three pages from the grocery store scene. apparently we both get really passionate about food LOL.


	4. Chapter 4

The fact that Tsukasa was so excited to see his house, or at least eager enough by the way he quickly got off the bike, made Izumi crack into a grin as he turned off the engine and removed his helmet. "Don't get your expectations too high, it's just a normal house~."

Still, even if he didn't show it as obviously as Tsukasa, he was excited too. They were only cooking and maybe watching a movie, but it had been so long since a friend (... was he allowed to consider his junior that) had come over. Hopefully Izumi wouldn't mess this up. He didn't exactly have the best track record, but maybe today would be the exception. 

"But that is exactly  _why_ I am excited!" Tsukasa had been to plenty of mansions and other elegant residences because of his family. He was excited to see a regular house!

Izumi went to open the door first, having learned from their earlier... Setback at the practice room, before stepping back to Tsukasa's side with a slight kneel to offer his back once more. _'... What goes around, comes around huh? To think this all started with a piggy-back ride...'_  

As Izumi knelt down next to him, Tsukasa adjusted the food and their school bags so he could hold them with one arm. "Pardon me," he murmured as he used his free arm to wrap around Izumi's shoulders.

He couldn't help but notice that compared to the first time, it was a lot easier to allow himself to touch Izumi. They had been in so much contact in such a short amount of time, it no longer felt so awkward to him. He was thankful he hadn't been picked up with no warning this time, though.

_'The more you do something the easier it gets, after all... Just like Knights practice.'_ When he thought of practice though, he couldn't help but marvel at how the stars seemed to align to allow for this. If someone told him this morning that tonight he would be spending the night at Izumi Sena's house, he would have laughed in their face.

The house was well-kept so there weren't any miscellaneous objects laying around - a good thing too because tripping over something right now would've been very bad. Izumi carefully set Tsukasa down once they were inside, figuring that the walls and furniture would be enough for Tsukasa to use to move around without putting too much stress on his ankle. After closing the door behind them, he took their personal belongings from Tsukasa.

"You can use those," he gestured to a set of guest slippers before slipping into his own house slippers. "I'll put these somewhere so they're not in the way, if you can bring the food to the kitchen." He assumed Tsukasa wanted to actually move around a bit, since he had been carried or sitting for the past few hours. 

_'Ugh...'_ Actually, he really wanted to get out of his current clothes. Tsukasa probably did, too. He made a note to fetch some from his closet as soon as he put their stuff in the living room.

"Pardon the intrusion." Tsukasa slipped off his shoes and put on the slippers, checking his ankle as he did so. The bruise had bloomed bright purple, but the swelling was about the same as the last time he checked. He should probably do something about it soon...

Despite the pain, it was nice to get to stand. He stretched for a moment, raising his arms up above his head and letting out a sigh. _'Ahhh, that is better.'_

He looked around the entryway. It was fairly plain, but it had a lot of personal touches. As he walked further in, he laid eyes on what appeared to be an older photograph of Izumi and his parents. He wasn't planning on being too nosy, but... He picked it up gently to get a closer look. _'Fufu, Sena-senpai looks so cute... And his parents look like very kind people.'_

Replacing the photo, Tsukasa looked around again, trying to locate the kitchen. He peeked around a corner, feeling victorious as his hunch paid off. The kitchen was different from the one at his house, and the one at Yumenosaki. It was much smaller, but also more cozy, less industrial. Placing the bag on the counter, Tsukasa began removing the items one by one. He put the candy on the corner of the counter, respecting Izumi's decree of no candy until tomorrow, even if eating something sounded really good right now...

Since he really didn't know the first thing about cooking and didn't want to ruin things before they even began, Tsukasa left the food on the counter untouched, still wrapped in their packaging.

"Sena-senpai?" he called out, leaning away from the counter to peek out the entrance to the kitchen.

Izumi had taken longer than he intended selecting suitable clothes (just a simple loose shirt and pants) to change into, as well as choosing something for Tsukasa to borrow if he wanted to change out of his practice clothes. He avoided colors that would clash with Tsukasa's appearance - it was a small detail but to a (somewhat) fashionista that took pride in his appearance, he wouldn't subject his junior to something as _barbaric_ as unflattering clothes. Even if they were out of public eye. 

Izumi thought of quickly searching around for some DVDs that they could choose from to watch something, but decided to not keep Tsukasa waiting in the kitchen too long. He could always look after they finished eating... He grabbed the first-aid kit from the medicine cabinet before returning to the kitchen area.

"Do you want to freshen up a bit before we start?" The older boy offered the clothes, not entirely sure if Tsukasa would take them. "Once you're done, we'll need to compress your ankle..."

When Izumi finally came back into view, Tsukasa couldn't help but smile. He was excited to get started! He blinked for a moment at the items presented to him, before realizing.

_'Ah, I am still wearing my sweaty practice clothes...'_ They didn't smell terrible, but it would certainly be nice to change.

"Yes, thank you very much." He accepted the clothes with a slight incline of his head, before tilting it to the side. "May I ask where the bathroom is?" Sure, he had changed in front of Izumi before, like during practice or before a live, but... He really didn't want to change in his senpai's kitchen. That was too strange. Washing his face also sounded good, as well.

It was almost surreal to see Tsukasa standing in his kitchen - sure, logically, it wasn't like he was going to suddenly disappear (like a certain King...), but he still had a hard time believing that this wasn't some weird (though pleasant) dream.

"Just down this hall, make a right and you'll see it." The downstairs bathroom wasn't as large as the one upstairs but... It would probably be best for Tsukasa to avoid the stairs for now. "You can just leave your practice clothes there and I'll put them in the laundry later, so we can have them dry overnight." As soon as he finished his words, he felt himself flush a bit as he realized he was falling into his habit of 'mothering' others again. Though this felt a bit different than at an event or at school - almost like taking care of a roommate? A sibling?

"I'll set up the kitchen while you change, take your time, okay~?" He didn't want Tsukasa moving around carelessly and bumping into things. And with that he started rummaging through the kitchen cabinets, taking out pots, pans, other ingredients, and all sorts of other essentials, humming a bit as he did so.

"Very well, I will be back in a moment." The younger boy headed off, but paused in the doorway for a moment at the sound of Izumi humming. Tsukasa smiled as he continued on his way. _'It seems like Sena-senpai is at least having a little fun, too. I am glad.'_

Following Izumi's instructions, he made his way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He washed his face off first, not minding if his practice clothes got wet. After patting his face dry, he quickly changed, though he took more care changing his pants. He certainly didn't want to fall again.

When he was done, he glanced in the mirror. The shirt was a little too big for him. While Izumi wasn't _too_ much taller than Tsukasa, the shirt was kind of loose on him. But, he had no other options, so it would have to do. He folded his clothes and left them on the counter, before leaving the bathroom.

On his way back to the kitchen, he suddenly remembered he hadn't called the servants back to let them know he wouldn't be returning that night. Making a detour to where he saw Izumi drop off their bags, he fished around in his until he located his phone.

"Yes, it is me again. I actually won't be coming home tonight. ... Yes, everything is fine, I am staying over a friend's house. I will be back... Some time around noon." Izumi hadn't actually said when he wanted him out by, but he figured that was a safe bet. "Yes, thank you. Goodnight." Tsukasa hung up, and when he was about to place his phone back in his bag, a thought occurred to him.

_'I still don't know who Sena-senpai was talking to...'_ It would be so easy right now, to grab Izumi's phone and look at the call logs. His bag was right there, and Izumi was still in the kitchen. He would never know...

Tsukasa shook his head. His... Odd, newfound jealousy had nearly ruined everything the last time. _'Besides,'_ he thought, face flushing slightly, _'Sena-senpai said I had his attention. I need to trust in my seniors more.'_

With that final thought, Tsukasa stuffed his phone away and made his way back to the kitchen. "I'm sorry to make you wait~."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today because I couldn't find a good stopping point, so expect a... Substantial chapter next time ahaha. c:


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! I got sick right around the time I would usually post, and I only started feeling better recently.

In the time Tsukasa had been gone, Izumi had changed the empty kitchen counters into something almost out of a cooking show with designated stations for preparing specific items. Vegetables were placed together next to the sink for washing atop of a cutting board, along with knife for chopping. The chicken had been placed on its own cutting board on a different counter to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination. The items for the creme brulee had been put aside to be only prepared when the other dishes were finished.

After securing an apron over his clothes, he had set out to first prepare the rice since that just needed to be set in the rice cooker. He had begun to wash the grains thoroughly, making sure to rinse until the water went from a milky color to clear. Izumi had just barely set the timer on the rice cooker before Tsukasa returned.

"It's fine, I told you to take your time, didn't I?" Izumi reminded as he poured the uncooked rice in and shut the lid close. The machine gave a little beep of acknowledgement as Izumi wiped his wet hands on the apron and turned to Tsukasa and his new change of clothes.

"... You look cute," the senior stated bluntly. There wasn't any indication of teasing in his tone, just simple acknowledgement. Though not one to go out of his way to compliment others, he was honest when acknowledging when someone looked, well, good. Generally it didn't really need to be said - as idols, it was pretty much a requirement. But Tsukasa was always so proper and trying to act like an adult despite his youth and innocent face, to see him with slightly loose clothes accentuated that childish charm.

Tsukasa froze in his tracks at the unexpected compliment, certain his cheeks were the same shade as his hair. He bit his lip to stop his knee jerk reaction of, 'I am not cute, don't make fun of me.' He would have let it out, if it had been Izumi's teasing voice, but he had said it like one states a fact, like the sky is blue.

"Can you sit on the chair there?" The older boy gestured to a chair at the dining table as he went to fetch the ice pack he prepared from the fridge. It was a bit crude - essentially ice in a plastic bag, but it would have to do.

Though he hadn't (this time) intended to make the other boy flustered, Izumi found it amusing all the same. He decided to be a bit merciful this time though and not comment on how Tsukasa looked the same shade as a tomato.

The redhead stuttered out a small 'thank you' as he moved to the chair. Why couldn’t he make up his mind today? He had already admitted to himself he wanted Izumi's attention, why was receiving it making him so embarrassed?

Thinking on it more, he reasoned it was probably simply the way he was raised. His parents were always busy, and even when he could spend time with them, he was told to make it worth their time... _'I do not wish for him to pay attention to me, and then think in the end that this was a waste of his time.'_ Tsukasa sat down and began playing with his hands, watching them like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

Before making his way over to Tsukasa, Izumi fetched the set-aside first aid kit first, rummaging through it until he was able to find the roll of elastic gauze that he had often used after a careless injury in ballet practice. There wasn't much left, but it should be just enough to wrap the injury temporarily.

"Hey Kasa-ku-" Izumi blinked slowly, at the suddenly... Meek-looking first-year, who seemed to have gone silent and was fiddling with his hands... As if nervous about something. He made his way back over (probably a bit faster than a normal pace) to Tsukasa, brow now furrowed with concern.

"What's wrong?" He wondered if there was more going on through the younger male's mind than cooking and his injury at the moment, and he couldn't help but recall the confession earlier. Though he was almost sure it didn’t relate... Or there was some other context he was missing. If there was... He wouldn't... Pry directly, he wanted Tsukasa to _want_ to tell him. So for now, Izumi would feign ignorance.

"We have to treat your injury before we can cook, you know~. If you're scared you can hold onto my sleeve, okay, you scaredy cat~?"

Tsukasa stopped moving at Izumi's voice, but still didn't look up until he started poking fun at him. "Me? Scared of a twisted ankle? As if," he huffed indignantly. But... He was scared of something else, wasn't he.

"Sena-senpai..." He looked to the side for a moment, before gazing directly at Izumi's face. "I am not... Wasting your time with all of this, yes...?" It sounded so pathetic to hear out loud, but the ball of anxiety forming in his stomach refused to let him stay quiet.

"In my family, when you spend time with someone, that person should not think that their time should have been spent on something more valuable... I suppose I am just worried that, while right now you said I have your attention, you'll think later that... Giving me attention was a waste of time. Today has felt like it has been all about myself, even though I originally wanted to spend time together so Sena-senpai would feel more appreciated."

He paused for a second to arrange his thoughts, but continued before Izumi could get a word in. "You said it kind of in passing, but you said you thought I disliked you. And that is certainly not true at all!" In the heat of the moment, Tsukasa grabbed onto Izumi's sleeve. "Sena-senpai is one of my respected senpais, and even just today alone, I have had a lot of fun with you. I really, truly care for Sena-senpai a lot, so I do not want you to think that... Today was a waste."

As he finished up, he couldn't help but wonder if he explained himself well enough. "... Did that make any sense?" Tsukasa questioned as he looked down once more, though he kept his hand on Izumi.

Nothing could’ve prepared Izumi for this.

As Tsukasa spilled his words out Izumi kept quiet. Usually he was quick to retort but he could only find himself speechless as he felt his heartstrings tugged... No, _wrenched_ apart by the first-year's admittance of what had truly been bothering him. No wonder Tsukasa had such confidence issues. He wanted to scream, _'Why would you think that?!'_ but the other boy continued spilling his heart out and Izumi didn't dare to interrupt.

Tsukasa looked so small. He sounded so broken. He reminded Izumi of the past. Of all the people who broke due to cruel circumstance. The people he had been unable to save... The first-year wasn't quite at that point, but this was an indicator of something familiar, and something if not prevented now could lead to...

Izumi pressed a hand to the one clutching at his sleeve and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. He couldn't save them. _He couldn't save Leo_ . He didn't have the ability to save anyone - but if he could prevent Tsukasa from needing to be saved... Then just _maybe_. He wasn't sure if he could erase an idea locked in for years in only a day but... He could sure as hell try.

"...... Are you an _idiot_?" Okay, maybe not the best way to give his kouhai reassurance, but dammit he was kinda pissed (at Tsukasa's parents, not at the first-year himself). He knelt down so he could look up at Tsukasa, eyes narrowing not from anger, but because he had to be firm with him to get it through his thick skull.

Tsukasa winced. For a moment, he was afraid - very afraid - that Izumi was going to wrench his hand off of him and tell him that of course this was a waste of his time, comforting a shitty brat. But as Izumi continued, he found he couldn't look away from Izumi's gaze. It was stern, but not necessarily unkind.

"Don't you _dare_ think you aren't worth it. I'm sure your family is great most of the time - but that doesn't mean they're perfect. No one is. And imperfect people sometimes make mistakes and say things that aren't true." Izumi would've liked time to keep his thoughts and words more coherent - he wasn't even sure if he was making sense, but his words spilled out one after another.

"Don't base your worth... On the appraisal of others. You're not some... Piece of furniture that gets assigned a value by someone else." He was almost ranting by this point. "You're a person. A _good_ person. Regardless of who you spend time with... They're not qualified to give you a value because they don't know all of you... The only person who truly does is... You.  Don't ever,  _ever,_ think the time you give others is a waste."

He could feel his voice cracking a bit but he _had_ to keep going. "I may say some stupid, terrible things sometimes, but know that I'll never think you're a waste of my time, Kasa-kun. That's why I’m here now - that's why I've given you so much of my time in return. ...  And just for the record, I care about you a lot too, you shitty brat." 

Izumi's last words were his undoing. Tears welled up in the corner of Tsukasa’s eyes, and there was no stopping them. "Onii-sama," he managed to croak out, before wrapping his arms around Izumi.

Tsukasa rested his chin on Izumi's shoulder once more, wiping at his eyes with one hand, though it did nothing to stave off the tears. He had a lot of things he wanted to say, but no real ways to phrase them right now. So, for now, this would have to be enough.

"Thank you so much... For everything." He sniffled a bit, and stopped wiping his eyes so he could just hold his senpai with both arms, if only for a little bit longer.

There weren't too many things that took Izumi by complete surprise and didn't manage to piss him off in some way. In fact, he couldn't recall a single moment before this. He almost felt silly - _stupid,_ even, for how his heart felt like bursting from being called _onii-sama_. They were just words. Words easily thrown around between juniors and their seniors to the point where they lost meaning as terms of endearment.

Perhaps it was because he never had siblings of his own, and the chance to dote on someone younger than him besides... Perhaps it was a curious desire to obtain something normal circumstance would not allow him. Perhaps it wasn't about being a "big brother," but to simply be acknowledged as someone worth looking up to.

He had only meant to cheer Tsukasa up, to make the boy relinquish his doubt of self-worth, but somehow he felt Tsukasa had done so for him instead. Rather than give and take... It had been a... Give and give situation?

_'Did I finally do something right for once?'_

When he felt Tsukasa wrap his arms around him, even his strong stubborn pride did not make him immune to the cascade of tears that dropped from his junior's eyes as he reached up to gently wipe the tears away.

Izumi slowly stood back up, not wanting to suddenly spook Tsukasa from the sudden movement. Looking at Tsukasa, he was a bit of a mess right now and Izumi instinctively began to pull back the stray strands that clung to the side of the first-year's tear-stained face.

As his senpai stood, Tsukasa couldn't help but notice the dark spot his tears had left on Izumi's shoulder. Oops. At least his nose wasn't running too badly, though he should probably still grab a tissue soon. He had been about to ask for one when Izumi had started to adjust his hair. Tsukasa closed his eyes as he did so, enjoying the soft touch of the other's fingers on his cheeks.

Izumi had managed to make the boy presentable again before long and to his own surprise pressed his lips to the top of Tsukasa's head.

"You're welcome."

Tsukasa blinked his eyes back open at the pressure at the top of his head. Had Izumi just kissed him? The action made him feel warm inside, a small smile finally returning to his face. Somehow it felt natural, and it... Wasn't something he wouldn't mind more of in the future.

"I must look positively dreadful right now," Tsukasa joked as he rubbed at the remaining tear tracks on his face with his sleeve. He wasn't necessarily ashamed about what had just transpired, as it had made him feel better, but... He certainly hoped Izumi wouldn't tell the other Knights about this.

"Hmm." Izumi took a step back as he brought a hand up to his face in a slightly exaggerated contemplative pose complete with a hand on his hip. "Not too bad actually. The smile definitely helps~." He gave one of Tsukasa's cheeks a slight tug upward. "Let's try to get this higher before the night ends, okay~?" He used his other hand to tap his chin thoughtfully. "Kasa-kun looks most - what's that stupid catchphrase you usually say... _Marvelous_ when he's his usual cheerful self."

Tsukasa gave a mock pout. "It is not stupid! It's not any weirder than 'soooooo annoying,' I'll have you know!" He huffed like he was upset, but he broke out into a smile nonetheless. Tsukasa was glad he talked to his senpai about his thoughts, it had certainly improved his mood.

"Still cheeky as ever~. Sooo annoying~." Izumi smirked. "Anyway, let's get you treated so we can start cooking. You're excited about that, right~? The sooner we start, the faster we can eat~." And they really should start, unless they wanted to eat dessert really late... And Izumi refused to ruin his skin by sleeping at an unreasonable hour. He didn't think of himself as a diva (at least not as much as Arashi), but he'd _literally_ die if he ended up getting a breakout in the morning.

Tsukasa nodded, as his stomach was already feeling like it was running on empty. "Yes, I am very excited. I hope we can make a delicious meal~."

Taking the elastic tape he set aside earlier, Izumi knelt back down near Tsukasa's injured leg and began to unroll the winded tape. "It needs to be a bit tight, but tell me if it's too much, okay?" He warned as he began to wrap the ankle.

Tsukasa lifted his foot slightly to allow Izumi better access to his ankle. He couldn't help but be impressed by how fast Izumi wrapped it up. It seemed like something he had done frequently.

When Izumi finished, Tsukasa tested out moving his ankle. It was tight, but not uncomfortable. Tsukasa smiled once more.

"This is fine. Shall we get started?" He stood up, eager to get started. It seemed like they had a lot to do!

When Tsukasa stood up Izumi did the same and nudged him back down into the seat. "Ice first, Kasa-kun." It was kind of _adorable_ how eager Tsukasa was to start, but he really needed to try and reduce the swelling before it got any worse. Izumi pressed the makeshift icepack to the swollen ankle and held it there firmly. If leg injuries weren't so common in their profession, he would've grimaced at the unslightly bruised coloration.

Oh. Tsukasa had completely forgot about the ice. "Ah-" Tsukasa almost pulled his foot away in reflex when he came into contact with the ice pack. Izumi hadn't really given him much warning. Despite having sat out for a moment when they had been talking, it was still very cold.

"I'll allow you to cook in about five minutes," Izumi announced in case the first-year was getting impatient (or hungry... Maybe both). He wanted to keep the injury iced for a few minutes at least.

"Five minutes... Very well, that is agreeable." Five minutes wasn't too long in the grand scheme of things, though too much longer than that he might have tried to wiggle his way out of it.

While they were waiting around, Izumi might as well start giving Tsukasa instructions on what to do next so he would have time to prepare himself with any questions.

"You're going to prepare the vegetables and mushrooms first, they're set up near the sink. You'll need to wash them first then cut them up to suitable sizes - I'll show you when we get over there." He paused, wondering just how much Tsukasa lacked in basic cooking techniques. "If you don't know how to use a knife properly, just ask and I'll show you. I don't want you to cut yourself mmkay~?"

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow at Izumi's comment. "Do you not... Simply use it the same as when you eat with one?" It was the same, wasn't it? He had been trained on proper etiquette at the table for years, he certainly knew how to handle a knife... Right? He tilted his head. "Or did you mean the way you keep what you are cutting still? I suppose you wouldn't use a fork..."

"A... Fork." Izumi couldn't help but repeat, both amused and in utter disbelief. Nobody could probably blame him for now being slightly concerned for his kitchen. Well, he was almost certain Tsukasa wouldn't burn his house down under his supervision and that sort of thing only happened in dumb comics or cartoons anyway...

Tsukasa felt his face go hot at Izumi's tone. Apparently, he did not know how to use a knife. Normally, Tsukasa was of the belief that one shouldn't be embarrassed when learning, as it only became a hindrance, but... _'I do not wish to look like foolish in front of Sena-senpai...'_ he thought as he gave a sheepish smile.

That reminded him. _'Before, when I was upset... I called Sena-senpai 'Onii-sama'...'_ He wasn't embarrassed about it, but he wondered how Izumi felt. Izumi had referred to himself as one of Tsukasa's 'onii-chans' that time with their duel against Leo, but did he actually want to be called it? Should he keep using it? Go back to Sena-senpai? Would it be weird to have called him Onii-sama then go back?

If Izumi's hands weren't occupied at the moment, he'd give a brief demonstration on at least the general position and movements on how to cut. But he just continued to hold the ice to Tsukasa's leg. His fingers weren't quite numb yet, but it was definitely cold so he switched his hands every other minute. "You curl your fingers for the hand you're holding the object you're cutting with... Kind of like a cat paw. It reduces the chance of getting cut. The actual chopping... It's faster if you don't lift it like when you eat... I guess it's easier for you to see it than for me to explain it."

Engrossed in his concerns, Tsukasa nearly missed Izumi's explanation. "Like a cat...?"  He tried miming it out with his own hand in midair, but it wasn't really coming across. Seeing Izumi do it first was probably for the best, then.

There had to be something wrong with him if he found the simple act of Tsukasa mimicking a cat absolutely endearing. It wasn't the first time today, and he had to just pause and mentally scream at himself for being stupidly overly-emotional. Izumi wondered if within the course of a few hours he'd gone soft... Way more than he was comfortable with. Still, maybe he was just... Compensating after his juniors break-down earlier, he reassured himself.

"Does it feel any better?" Izumi lifted the pack from Tsukasa's ankle to check if the swelling had reduced in the few minutes it had been iced. It didn't need to be said, but he'd trust Tsukasa to tell him if there was something concerning.

"Yes, it feels a little bit better." The ice had provided some relief, though there was still some pain. But there would be pain for awhile, and it certainly wasn't bad enough that he couldn't at least stand still at the sink. Standing up once more, he gave Izumi another smile. "Shall we get started this time... Onii-sama~?" 

He figured he'd keep using it, at least while they were like this... If Izumi told him to knock it off he would, and it wasn't like anyone else was here to comment on it. At school he'd most likely go back to Sena-senpai. But for now, it was fine, right?

“......” Izumi would usually keep his expression neutral when embarrassed, but for some reason he couldn't help how his face immediately flushed red at Tsukasa's sudden penchant for using 'Onii-sama' to address him. Whatever he was feeling at the moment it felt... Strange. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't like the feeling he had earlier. Perhaps there was an added novelty the first time which was of course gone when used a second time. At best he could only describe it as 'foreign.' Perhaps he just needed some time to get used to it since it was... A big change for him. He kept quiet for a few seconds to give himself time to calm himself down before nodding at Tsukasa.

"Before we start you should put on an apron to keep your clothes from getting messy." Well, they were technically his clothes, but all the more reason to keep them clean. He gestured to a pair of aprons hooked in the corner of the kitchen, one belonging to his mother and the other to his father. He, of course, was already wearing his own. He made his way over to where the vegetables had been set up and waited for Tsukasa to get ready.

_'Fufu, he got all red,'_ Tsukasa thought to himself as he went to get an apron as instructed, trying to not let his amusement show on his face. _'He didn't actually say anything about it, though... Does that mean it's okay, or does he just not want to tell me it bothers him?'_ Tsukasa shook his head at his own question. _'No, he doesn't hesitate to let people know when he finds something annoying...'_

He grabbed an apron at random, quickly putting it on and tying it off. _'It was fairly sudden though, wasn't it. I will try not to over use it~.'_

With that, he walked back over to Izumi's side, eager to finally begin. His stomach had been silent for awhile, but he could still feel it rumble with hunger once in awhile. The faster he got his part done, the faster they could eat.

"Can you show me that... Cat hold? I am afraid I do not quite understand."

"Cat hold..." Izumi supposed there wasn't really a term that he knew of, so it was fine to refer to it as just. "I'll do a demonstration, but keep in mind that these need to be washed first. I'll assume you know how to wash things at least~?" Izumi asked teasingly before taking one of the pre-peeled bamboo shoots and cutting a small portion off to use as a demo. After placing the piece on the cutting board, he curled his fingers on one hand, knuckles pointed outward and gripped the bamboo piece firmly so the shoot wouldn't slip from his hand.

"This is the 'cat hold.' Since my fingers aren't sticking out, it makes it safer to cut close. You don't really need to use this once you get used to handling a knife but for now... I want to see you use this technique, okay~?"

Oh. That... Made more sense than what Tsukasa had pictured (which was more of a cat with its claws out...). Tsukasa nodded. "Very well, I will make sure to use it."

The older boy picked up a large knife and pressed the tip to the board away from the bamboo so Tsukasa could see the motion better. "Move the blade up and down like this from the back... It's kind of like a rocking motion, if you want to think of it that way." He almost compared it to a rocking horse, but decided to not use that comparison since Tsukasa might’ve not been familiar with them. "Then simply move it like this..." He slid the bamboo shoot toward his knife and chopped it rather cleanly into many smaller pieces.

"Do the bamboo, onion, mushrooms... The lettuce you can just tear up and put into the salad bowl over there." It was a decent amount of prep work that had to be done, but it would be a good learning experience. "I'll start on prepping the chicken."

First things first, Tsukasa had to make sure all the food was clean. After giving everything a thorough wash, Tsukasa decided to finish the lettuce first, since he wouldn't have to use the knife just yet. He quickly tore the lettuce up, then placed it into the appropriate bowl. Now it was time to cut... He was a little nervous; not so much that he was going to hurt himself, but that his technique would be awful and ruin the food.

He started with the bamboo first, figuring its uniform shape would make it the easiest. Holding his hand like Izumi had demonstrated he gripped the knife and started to cut.  
Cutting itself proved not to be necessarily difficult, but... The pieces were hardly even, and he was much slower at it than Izumi had been. _'I suppose it's better for me to be slow than to cut myself, at least.'_ Moving onto the mushrooms next, he felt a little more confident, though the pieces still all varied in size. Hopefully this didn't affect how they cooked... 

Since he didn't have as many things to cut as Tsukasa, Izumi had already finished cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces by the time the vegetables had been washed. He had decided against the teriyaki chicken since the sauce would be quite sweet and require more sugar than his other choices. Karaage-style would've been nice but he didn't think the larger chunks usually associated with the dish would be suited to be eaten within the gomoku gohan - it was better on its own as a side dish.

Thus he had decided on making "popcorn-style" chicken while combining elements from the other two recipes. The chicken would be battered and fried to give it a similar texture to the karaage and the chicken would be marinated with a soy sauce/mirin mixture then seasoned with a bit of garlic to keep the essence of the teriyaki sauce without going overboard with the sugar.

Izumi had left the cut chicken pieces in the marinade to soak for a bit while he was prepared the batter and waited for the pot of oil to heat up on the stove. The main reason he didn't want Tsukasa to help him with this particular dish was the possible oil splash that came with frying dishes, which generally tended to freak out newcomers to cooking since it did hurt if one wasn't used to it.

Tsukasa had saved the onion for last because it was a bit of a mystery to him. He wasn't quite sure how to cut it to make it around the same size as the other vegetables.  
_'Perhaps I will cut it in half and then just cut it like I cut the rest?'_ Nodding to himself, he gripped the onion and gave it a clean slice down the middle. Turning both halves of the onions so the new flat ends were on the bottom, he was about to continue cutting when... 

_'It really hurts?!'_ His eyes started stinging, and for the second time today he found himself crying. Putting the knife down, he began swiping at his face. _'What in the world...? Why are my eyes burning so badly?'_

While Izumi was focused on his work at hand, he was listening to the sounds of chopping from where Tsukasa was. Though his technique was slow it was consistent enough - when Tsukasa stopped, however, Izumi wondered if he was already done and waiting for further instructions. He placed the first batch of chicken into the pot to cook before turning toward Tsukasa’s direction.

"Kasa-kun how are the- w-what's wrong now?!" Eyes widened in a panic and jumping to the worst-case scenario of the other cutting himself with the knife, he didn't wait for Tsukasa to answer and just went for the first-aid kit.

Turning at the sound of Izumi's voice, Tsukasa saw him grab the first aid kit and was confused for a moment, before his mind caught up.

"Eh, no, no, I am fine! Truly!" He waved his hands in front of himself, both as a way to try and stop Izumi, and as proof he hadn't cut himself and wasn't bleeding.

"Um, my eyes just began to sting? I have no idea what is wrong..." Even as he was trying to calmly explain what was happening, the tears were still flowing freely. "S-Should I flush out my eyes with water? I am not sure why this started happening... I was just finishing up with the cutting and I could not stop myself from crying..." He had felt fine after crying before, so why was it happening again?

"......" It was almost ridiculous at how much Izumi's feelings fluctuated within a few seconds. Feelings of worry and panic were instantly replaced with relief and disbelief at the actuality of the situation. He almost laughed, _of course_ he had forgotten to warn Tsukasa about the onions - though to be fair, he thought pretty much everyone knew about their possible side-effect and to approach them with a bit of caution.

He dropped the first-aid kit back to where it had been left prior and made his way back over to Tsukasa, feeling a bit guilty that this was the second time today he had (unintentionally) made the boy cry. "It's something that can happen when you cut onions... I forgot to warn you." Izumi explained almost sheepishly as he fetched a clean towel from one of the kitchen drawers. "Wash your hands then flush your eyes out using cold water."

It would almost be time for him to remove the first batch of chicken from the oil before it burned, so Izumi impatiently nudged Tsukasa closer to the sink. "You can do this yourself right~?"

The... onion did this? The younger boy gave the veggie a quick glance as if to confirm that was what the were talking about. "... Really?" Truly, cooking was a practice filled with many unknowns...

Tsukasa humphed. "Of course I can, please do not think so little of me." He took the towel from Izumi and set it aside as he washed his hands. Gingerly, he began to splash his face with water until the stinging stopped.

Izumi mentally pouted when the towel had been taken away from him and thus a chance to dote on Tsukasa - only to have a bit of irritation flare up when he was immediately reminded how people have commented on his tendency to _mother_ others. Just because he enjoyed cooking, knitting, taking care of others, found those younger than him incredibly endear- _god damnit._

After having patted his face dry with the towel, Tsukasa turned back to the onion with a small glare. He would not let a vegetable get the better of him again...!

Standing as far from the board as he could while still being able to reach, he went back to cutting. His eyes only watered a little bit this time, and he felt triumphant as he made the last slice.

He turned to Izumi with a smile. "Onii-sama, I am finished~."

Izumi couldn't help but return the smile when Tsukasa finished prepping the vegetables. One, Tsukasa seemed quite proud of his accomplishment, and he couldn’t help if his own heart swelled alongside his kouhai's - even if a lot of the vegetables were funnily-shaped. Two, the way Tsukasa didn’t let the onion's... Side effects deter him and instead took it as a challenge while using what he had learned just a minute before. Three, _onii-sama_... He still wasn't used to it but he managed not to blush this time. At least not as much...

"Good job Kasa-kun~," Izumi praised followed by a pat on the head. "They're a bit uneven, but you'll get better with practice," Izumi added with a teasing smirk.

_'Ah, another smile...~'_ Compared to his food preparation, Tsukasa almost felt more pride at getting his senior to smile. It wasn't exactly an extremely rare sight, but it felt rare that _he_ was the cause. 

"Fufu, thank you very much," he said as reached up to make sure his hair wasn't standing up after the head pat.   _'With practice, huh...'_ Tsukasa couldn't stop the hope welling in his chest. _'So we might do this again?'_ He didn't ask out loud, but he certainly hoped so.

In the time Tsukasa finished up his vegetable prep work, Izumi had finished his own task so they would both be able to cook the vegetables at the same time; this would allow for Izumi to supervise Tsukasa as well since... Well, a stove was just sliiiightly more dangerous than a knife and chopping board. He had already set up the pots and pans they would be using which were currently oiled and on low-heat.

"I'll cook the onions and make the sesame dressing for the salad, you'll be taking care of the mushrooms and bamboo." It should be manageable... Hopefully. He had set all the seasonings to the side - salt, pepper, etc - so Tsukasa could get a chance to do that as well. "Just follow my instructions and you'll be fine~."

"Really?" Tsukasa hadn't expected to do any actual cooking today, just prep work, so he was excited at the chance to really cook. But, he was also nervous... While his... Variety of vegetable shapes probably wouldn't ruin the meal, if he burned something now, he would be so embarrassed...

"I'll be in your care..." he muttered out by reflex as he stared at the stove in front of him. "So, what exactly do I do...?" He turned to Izumi, confident his senpai wouldn't steer him wrong.

Though traditionally red onions were eaten raw or just slightly cooked, Izumi decided on caramelizing them for their rice dish to take advantage of their known mild, yet sweet flavor and Tsukasa's preference for sweet things. The process was a lot longer but the end result would be worth it. He decided he'd start on his task as soon as he started Tsukasa on his.

"The big pot in the back that's filled with water... You're just going to place the bamboo in that and boil them." It was easy enough that Tsukasa could multitask between that and the mushrooms. "Put a bit of salt in and let it cook on its own. You'll need to check and give it a quick stir every few minutes." He pointed to the heat settings for that particular stovetop. "You can adjust the heat here, once the water boils turn it down a little bit and you can put the pieces in - don't just dump them in, or you might get splashed with hot water."

Next, he pointed to the pan that had been heating up some olive oil. "You'll be putting the mushrooms in here. Salt and pepper them with the shakers over there, just a couple pinches of each should be fine. You'll be cooking them until they reduce in size by at least half." There was enough liquid in the mushrooms that even if Tsukasa over seasoned them, they wouldn't taste too bad. Hopefully.

"... Don't burn anything or I'll get mad, okay~?" he added jokingly.

As Izumi's explanation went on, Tsukasa started to feel slightly overwhelmed. He was technically only doing two things, but they each invoked multiple steps and constant attention. What if he forgot something or paid too much attention to one thing, ruining the other?

"Umm..." Was all he could get out as he stared at everything in front of him. "I will... try my best..."

_'That almost came out sounding like a question,'_ he thought to himself as watched the pot in the back. He at least knew what boiling water looked like, so that shouldn't be a problem. Tsukasa was more worried about the mushrooms than anything else.

Tsukasa contemplated asking a few more questions just to make certain about some aspects, but decided to refrain. A knight shouldn't depend entirely on their seniors, after all...! He could do this!

As Tsukasa buckled down on his portion of the cooking, Izumi set about on his own tasks. For the sesame dressing, he combined all the ingredients in a blender. There were chopped cloves of garlic, sesame oil (which he added some freshly toasted sesame seeds too for a fragrant aroma), olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and a few spoons of honey - which he luckily had in the kitchen pantry. He set aside the appropriate amount of water needed to form it into a dressing but refrained from blending until everything else was close to completion.

He had set the onions to a medium heat and they had barely begun to brown. He gave the pieces a stir while gauging the size reduction so far. He'd have to wait a bit longer before he added the butter to give it a more caramelized texture. In the background he could hear the rice cooker ding signaling it was finished, though he didn't need to worry about it overcooking since the machine had a setting to automatically switch to keep warm when it finished.

As the water for the bamboo finally began to boil, Tsukasa turned down the heat as instructed, added what he desperately hoped wasn't too much salt, then slowly added in the bamboo, careful to avoid splashing the water about. Grabbing the spoon next to the pot, he gave everything a quick stir, before moving onto the mushrooms. 

Tsukasa was a little more hesitant about this part of the process. They seemed like they would need more attention than the bamboo. He scraped the mushrooms into the pan, enjoying the slight sizzle they gave off for a moment, before grabbing the salt and pepper shakers again.

Being more careful with the seasoning this time, he gave the mushrooms a quick sprinkle, before giving the bamboo another stir. He could do this, if Izumi put him in charge of this, he must have believed it wouldn't be too difficult...

"Um, do I stir up the mushrooms any as well? Or do I leave them be?"

"Yeah, you stir it," Izumi nodded as he took Tsukasa's hand and demonstrated by moving some of the bottom pieces to the top. "You want to make sure all the pieces are cooked evenly. This prevents them from burning as well." He moved his hand slightly, scraping some of the mushrooms to the side to show the liquid that had begun to run out. "See this liquid? Ideally, you want to keep cooking until this is mostly gone."

Tsukasa stiffened ever so slightly when Izumi grabbed his hand, suddenly hyper-aware of the place of contact and the slight uptick in his heartbeat. 

_'... What is wrong with me...?'_ He had been reassured it was okay to ask for attention and he wasn't bothering Izumi, so why was he still getting embarrassed at the attention of his senpai...? He shook his head, trying to regain his composure and focusing on Izumi's words, not his touch.

"O-Okay, then I shall keep stirring both the bamboo and mushrooms." 

Speaking of, it was probably time to give the bamboo another stir, right? Removing his hand almost reluctantly from Izumi's, Tsukasa gave the pot a stir, staring at the vegetables intently. It was just so they wouldn't burn of course, not so that he wouldn't have to look over at Izumi or anything! And if asked he would say the slight flush on his cheeks was just from the heat of the stove.

... Seriously, what was wrong with him…

Tsukasa's behavior when he took a hold of his hand didn't go unnoticed to Izumi, but he simply attributed it to nerves, similar to how a student would get nervous under the observation of a passing teacher. When Tsukasa removed his hand with pink-stained cheeks he couldn't help but raise a brow at the boy who seemed to suddenly way to interested in the vegetables and doing everything in his power to avoid meeting Izumi's gaze.

The onions finally had browned, so Izumi quickly added butter and gave the pieces a good stir to ensure all pieces were thoroughly coated.

Was Tsukasa that embarrassed over his little evaluation just now...? It wasn't like Izumi gave it a harsh critique. Well, he didn't exactly praise him either, but he didn't think Tsukasa was the time in need of constant reassurance. But if it helped him get some of his confidence back...

"You... Did good." His words came out a bit awkward, not really specifying that he was referring to the progress he made so far following his instructions - and it was praise for Tsukasa for not hesitating to ask questions if he needed clarification.

"N-Not that it's an excuse to slack now that you got my approval, okay~?" He added quickly as he could feel his cheeks suddenly mirror the color of his kouhai's. _'Ah, now would be a good time to turn on the distractingly-loud blender,'_ Izumi thought to himself as he hit the 'on' button.

"Huh?" Tsukasa finally turned back to Izumi, tilting his head slightly in confusion. Where had that suddenly come from? Not that he was going to complain, but he hadn't been expecting it at all.

_'Fufu, he is trying his best, isn't he?'_ Tsukasa thought as he observed the flush now on Izumi's cheeks. He tried to squeeze in a 'thank you,' but he wasn't sure if he was heard over the sudden roar of the blender.

Turning back to his task, he continued to stir each item carefully, making sure everything didn't stay in one place too long. He repeated the motion Izumi had done when holding his hand to check the level of the water for the mushrooms. There was still enough that he wouldn't call it mostly gone, but it was getting there.

_'Hmm, I know how to check for when the mushrooms are done, but I'm not sure how long the bamboo was supposed to be in the water... I should ask Oni-... Sena-senpai.'_ While Tsukasa had decided that using 'onii-sama' for Izumi was fine...

_'Somehow, it feels... Strange to call him that at the moment.'_

  
He thought back to before, and to the way he reacted to his touch, and the way he had been reacting all day, honestly. He wasn't completely oblivious... Tsukasa would freely admit that Izumi was attractive; all his seniors in Knights were, it practically seemed a requirement to join. And he really thought of them as a kind of family, but... _'I don't think.... You feel this way about a brother.'_

Jesus Christ. Did he have a crush on Izumi? No. No, no, no. _'Tsukasa Suou, get a grip on yourself! Why out of everyone in the world would you get a crush on Sena-senpai?! Yes, he is incredibly good looking and talented and actually really thoughtful and kind even if he has trouble showing it and he would probably be really marvelous to kiss and- oh. Ohhh no.'_ Had he really just thought about what it would be like to kiss Izumi Sena?

_'Jesus Christ... This is not good.'_

So wrapped up in his realization, he completely forgot he was cooking. _'Guh...'_ Thankfully, nothing seemed to have burned as he gave everything a rapid stir. Hearing a lull in the blender he decided to ask his question as fast as he could. 

"U-Um, how will I know when the bamboo is done?"

For about thirty or forty-five seconds Izumi was blissfully free from any distracting thoughts about Tsukasa.

He knew one of the reasons for hanging out was to learn more about the redhead, but he felt that for each answer he got, another question popped up in return. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but at the same time frustrating because he didn't understand why Tsukasa reacted in certain ways throughout the day. If the day's events were anything to go by, he couldn't exactly rely on his own guesses which ranged from somewhat on the mark to grossly inaccurate.

When Tsukasa spoke up it took a moment for Izumi to register the question. "Oh you just-" Before he finished his sentence he pulled out some wooden skewers from a nearby drawer. "Try poking through one of the pieces. If it goes through then it's done." He set the sticks next to the salt and pepper shakers by Tsukasa's side of the stove. "We're just waiting for it to get soft essentially," he added as an explanation.

"... How are you feeling?" His intention was to ask about the status of Tsukasa's ankle but decided to leave his question a bit ambiguous in case Tsukasa had anything else on his mind - he seemed quite distracted for some bizarre reason. Was he getting bored of cooking? To be fair, waiting for things to boil and stirring occasionally wasn't exactly as exciting as like, performing a live or anything, so he couldn't blame him if his mind wandered a bit...

On the plus side, aside from the slight stutter, he didn't seem as nervous as a moment before so that was something at least.

"I see..." Tsukasa picked up one of the skewers and was about to test it out when Izumi had spoken up again.

Tsukasa nearly dropped the skewer. _'Oh God, does he know? There is no way he can know, right? I mean, he has been teasing me quite a lot today, but he cannot possibly know, right?'_

His mind raced for a moment trying to come up with something to say. He said he would tell his senpai if something was bothering him, but this was on a whole other level. There was absolutely no way he could ever, ever share this. Then it suddenly hit him that he had something else to talk about. 

"Ah, I am quite alright... Though, perhaps I have been standing too long..." It hurt to lie to Izumi, but... The idea of him knowing about this little crush was far more painful. 

So Izumi was right regarding the injury. He probably should've kept it iced a bit longer. He mentally berated himself for being careless. If Tsukasa was starting to feel pain, then he really should just have him sit down for a bit - he would probably feel better by the time they finished eating so he could still help with preparing the dessert, but for now...

He wasn't sure of the severity of the pain but it made sense with how distracted Tsukasa was. It had to be pretty painful if he couldn't keep it from affecting his reactions...

Tsukasa had turned his attention back to the food, going back to his original intent of checking the bamboo. The skewer didn't quite go through, so he placed it back and decided to wait a few more minutes before trying again.

The mushrooms, on the other hand, had lost most of the liquid at the bottom like Izumi had sad was ideal. He turned to him with a smile. 

"I believe the mushrooms are done~. What should I do with them?" 

He liked this, liked this change in their relationship too much to ruin it all by talking about these feelings that he wasn't even one hundred percent sure about. How they were now was enough for Tsukasa. Or, he had to make it be enough. If he ignored these feelings, surely they would pass... Right?

"Kasa-kun, you can just leave the rest to me. We're almost finished anyway." His tone was probably a bit more stern than he intended but injuries were a serious matter.  He gestured to a stack of plates and utensils on the counter.

"Can you take those over to the table and set up? When you finish just sit for a bit, I don't want you to put pressure on your ankle until after eating."

He still had to assemble all the components of the salad and gomoku gohan together but it shouldn't take too long since they finished cooking most of the different ingredients.

Tsukasa held back his protest. He was the one who lied, he should accept the consequences... "Okay," was all he managed as he backed away from the stove.

It was almost as if Izumi had just kicked a puppy instead of merely telling Tsukasa to rest his injury. And dammit, he shouldn't feel guilty for doing the right thing in this situation, right? He was supposed to be the responsible one, but even just mere seconds after giving Tsukasa the command he was questioning if his decision was the correct one.

Izumi sighed to himself and went to the fridge to prep another ice pack for Tsukasa. He did'’t use as much ice as the first once since he probably wouldn't be using this one for very long...

Grabbing the plates and utensils, Tsukasa set the table like the servants would at home- or at least as close as he could replicate it. They were missing a few components, but it was close enough.

He removed his apron and placed it back on the hook, before choosing a seat. He was slightly upset he didn't get to finish his part, but he didn't want to let Izumi know that.   
But... He pouted slightly before asking, "Can I at least help with the creme brulee later?" He had been looking forward to that...! Well, mostly looking forward to eating it, but he wanted to help, too!

His attention turned when he heard the redhead pose a question and glanced over to where Tsukasa was sitting with an _adorable_ pout. The question itself, though not entirely unexpected, didn't fail to make Izumi crack a grin as he walked over to Tsukasa with the ice pack.

"Only if you're a good boy and keep yourself iced until I finish, okay~?" Izumi whispered to him as if telling him a big secret and plopped the ice pack onto his lap. He didn't give Tsukasa time to respond as he made his way back to the kitchen since he shouldn't separate himself from his still-cooking dishes for too long. Admittedly, he was a bit disappointed he didn't wait around for Tsukasa's reaction.

"..." Ok, so him maybe having a crush on Izumi made his reaction to that whisper more clear, at least. He grabbed the ice pack with slightly trembling hands, thanking whatever deity was out there that Izumi had turned back around before he could see his face. Figuring he should listen to his senpai, Tsukasa crossed his leg over his lap so he could place the ice pack on his ankle.

_'If he continue to do things like that I am going to utterly embarrass myself sooner or later.'_ Hopefully he could make it through the rest of the evening without making a fool of himself, and he could have the day off tomorrow to think over his feelings, and possible solutions...

For the salad, Izumi made two servings, placing them in two medium bowls with a generous amount of the sesame dressing and placed the rest of the lettuce in a large salad bowl in case either of them wanted more.

If he had to be honest, they didn’t really follow the correct method of making the gomoku gohan. Izumi had taken liberties with the recipe - for example everything could've been just done with the rice cooker and steamed together. However, it wouldn't have been as involved as what they had done instead; the end result, though not traditional, was much more impressive in each individual component, since they prepped each to draw out their own unique flavor instead of just cooking it all together. Similarly to the salad, he prepared two servings alongside a larger serving bowl in case either wanted additional servings.

As Tsukasa watched Izumi finish up, he went over the few solutions he had come up with. _'I cannot just tell him outright, that would be the worst option... Avoiding him is impossible because of unit activities, and even then, that is not something I wish to do...'_

It took Izumi two trips to bring everything to the table, and he nearly sat down before realizing he forgot something. "Ah... What do you want to drink?"

As Izumi brought dishes over, Tsukasa pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind so he could enjoy the food they had worked on. 

"Water is just fine." Tsukasa looked down at his plate and could feel his stomach growl once more. Food was finally so close... But, his manners had him stopping until Izumi sat down as well.

When Izumi returned with a glass and sat down, almost immediately Tsukasa grabbed his chopsticks, stuck his hands together and offered up his thanks for the meal, before digging into the salad.

Ahh, it was good. But, he really wanted to try the gomoku gohan. Trying to get as many of the ingredients at once as possible, Tsukasa took a bite. 

"...! Uwa! It is delicious! Marvelous...~!" He closed his eyes as he enjoyed all the different flavors and how they contrasted, yet went together nicely. While he hadn't done everything... Tsukasa would call his first assisted dish a success.

The speed at which Tsukasa started eating was... Impressive, to say the least. Izumi could only watch both fondly and amusedly as the other piled all the pieces together and took his first bite of the gomoku gohan.

At Tsukasa’s blissful expression, Izumi could feel his chest tighten.  _'If... I can continue to make him happy like that, then...'_

Before the other could catch him staring - he knew he still caused Tsukasa some amount of discomfort, even if it wasn't intentional by either party - he turned his gaze and took a sip from his own glass of water. He had made it a habit to start every meal with a drink; it was a technique he learned a long time ago to prevent himself from eating too much while still staying full.

"Hm." Izumi took a bite of salad and gave a small approving nod at the taste. The sesame dressing was a bit heavier than his usual choice for salad dressing, but he'd allow himself to indulge slightly for today. As along as he still took a mental note of his calorie intake, and made sure to make up for it with a run tomorrow.

"There's plenty to go around, but make sure to save room for dessert later, Kasa-kun~." He was almost certain that regardless, the boy would have room in his stomach for sweets later, so he was just poking fun of Tsukasa a bit.

"I will! There is no way I can pass up dessert. But this is wonderful as well, so I'm going to make certain to enjoy it~."

It really was delicious, all of it. Tsukasa felt all his discomfort and anxiousness disappear as he ate. 

"Sena-senpai is truly an excellent cook! I wish I could be this good one day..." Tsukasa really couldn't keep the smile off his face. 

"If you're willing to continue cooking I’m sure you will be~ ... Well, maybe not as good as me, but still damn good." Izumi meant it - if he had to name one of Tsukasa's best traits, it would be his perseverance and willingness to push himself to improvement.

Tsukasa felt himself smile just a tiny bit wider at Izumi's faith in him. That was the second time today Izumi had talked about how he believed in Tsukasa's abilities... The verbal reassurances were quite nice.

"When did you develop an interest in cooking, senpai? I feel like most boys our age do not really know how to cook? Well, they probably know more than I do... But Sena-senpai seems high above that level." 

Tsukasa was truly curious. Did his parents just like to cook? The whole family had their own aprons, after all. Or was it a hobby he picked up on a whim?

While he was grateful for the younger to take initiative in starting conversation - Izumi was never good at small-talk - he wasn't too ecstatic about the topic falling to himself. There was a reluctance to share anything about himself, and it was partially because he didn't think himself to have a particularly interesting life. People preferred to _assume_ things about him, not ask. Still, if Tsukasa was that curious...

"It's a good skill to have. And it was necessary for me to learn since I have to be careful with what I eat." He stirred the items in the gomoku gohan a bit before picking a small portion and testing it. It was decent as expected though a bit lumpy for some of the pieces. Usually he'd scoff at the imperfection but knowing and seeing Tsukasa work so earnestly with the vegetables today... He could hardly find reason to complain.

"Why are you interested in cooking, Kasa-kun~? Besides the novelty factor, it's not exactly a useful skill for someone who will always have chefs on hand..."

Tsukasa froze with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. He really hadn't been thinking about it in terms of usefulness. Placing his utensils down, he brought his hand to his chin.

"Hmm, I suppose that is true. Until I started at Yumenosaki, I never really gave cooking much thought. But so many of our schoolmates can cook," (though he remembered the incident with Tetora and shuddered for a moment before continuing), "So I guess it just felt like... An experience I was missing out on? And also..." Tsukasa's smile turned slightly sheepish. "It seemed like a fun activity for Sena-senpai and I to do together~."

His smile faltered slightly at that moment, becoming unsure. "Was I wrong...?"

"......" How exactly did Tsukasa expect him to respond to that question? There were just certain words that had been exempted from Izumi's vocabulary and 'fun' just so happened to be one of them - unless used in a snide or sarcastic remark.

It was a positive experience overall, so he supposed it would qualify as fun. Though admitting it directly was harder than he expected. "It was... F-F...... Enjoyable. You're not w-wrong..." he mumbled half reassuringly and half trying to mask his sudden embarrassment before taking another bite of rice and turning away.

"... I see. I'm glad~." Tsukasa resumed eating to stop himself from smiling at the way Izumi stuttered and looked away. _'I got to see Sena-senpai's embarrassed face multiple times today... Ehehe.'_

He wanted to give Izumi a moment to collect himself, so he remained silent and reflected on today's events once more. It still boggled his mind, how they ended up here. _'If I hadn't been so careless at practice... I wonder what we would both be doing right now?'_

He would have gone home, eaten dinner prepared by his chefs alone, then probably read a book until going to bed. It would have been an average day. Not necessarily a bad one, but... This was, to put it in Izumi's words, more enjoyable to him.

The atmosphere between them had changed a lot over the past few hours, and Izumi liked to think of it as a good thing, a _wonderful_ thing. There was, however, still that shadow of doubt lurking in the back of his mind warning him that he should put an end to this so Tsukasa wouldn't get hurt in the long run.

It was... Pretty pathetic how he was the one that needed assurance. He _needed_ to know that no one was going to run away and abandon him like a worthless pawn piece. He _had_ to know that no one would end up broken... Like a shattered blade with no chance for repair. He was supposed to be the stronger one, and yet, he couldn't even freely admit to his own true feelings.

There was an interesting parallel between him and Tsukasa, while Izumi had chosen to walk a tainted path, Tsukasa chose to march forward over any hurdle thrown his way toward the light with honor and radiance.

Truth be told, he felt a bit envious.

While Tsukasa had gotten good at making small talk thanks to boring dinner parties with his parents, using one of those topics on someone he respected felt belittling. He had many things he genuinely wanted to know about Izumi, but he was a private person. Like the rest of Tsukasa's senpais, he had secrets and stories he wasn't privy to. It made him feel... Perhaps jealous was the correct term for it, that the rest of his unit knew things about each other that he didn't.

In the end he decided to just enjoy the silence as he ate. He was probably eating too quickly, but he was excited to move on to making dessert.

As he finished up eating, he reached down and took the ice pack off his ankle. "I kept the ice on like you said, so I can help with dessert, yes?"


End file.
